You may notice a green, red or brown film on your favorite boating or swimming area in the summer. This coloring could mean that the water is affected by harmful algal blooms. Harmful algal blooms are an accumulation of tiny organisms known as algae and can release harmful toxins into the enviro... Read More
View an interactive animation of the life cycle of the malaria parasite, of the genus Plasmodium. The lifecycle of the malaria parasite is split between female mosquitoes and humans. In the mosquito gut, the parasites complete sexual reproduction and then multiply rapidly to produce many more p... Read More
This digitally-colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) depicted the dorsal (upper) surface of a Giardia protozoan that had been isolated from a rat’s intestine. Some of the identifying morphologic characteristics include pairs of thread-like flagella that facilitate motility, and a ventolat... Read More
This confocal micrograph, taken as part of a synthetic biology project, shows Bacillus subtilis, a Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in soil. Distinct lineages of bacteria expressing different fluorescent proteins were initially mixed randomly on a petri dish. As the bac... Read More
From the shiny, strong nacre that gives abalone shells an unbreakable, opaline sheen, to the goopy mix of proteins fired by a velvet worm that solidify and trap prey upon impact, nature is packed with inspiration for scientists designing new materials.
Waterproof adhesives and self-cleaning s... Read More
We continue our series of images that have made a difference in microbiology. This one, published by John Cairns in 1963 has earned a most deserved place in textbooks and reviews. It shows a radioautograph of an intact E. coli chromosome in the act of replicating. From this image, Cairns conclud... Read More
A relatively straightforward classroom experiment produces fascinating images by students at the University of Surrey when they imprinted their smartphone onto a bacterial growth medium. Read More
Echinococcus granulosus is a tapeworm parasite that in its larval form can cause hydatid disease, which is characterized by cysts forming within the victim's body. In order to complete its lifecycle, the tapeworm must infect two hosts, a carnivore and a herbivore.
The adult form of Echinococc... Read More
Scanning electron micrograph of HIV particles infecting a human T cell. Credit: NIAID, NIH Read More
Olympus Bioscapes, Honorable Mention, Dr. Petr Znachor, Laboratory of Phytoplankton Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology,Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
Specimen: Cyanobacterium Anabaena planctonica, Technique: Nomarski contrast, 20x Objective Read More
Marine bioluminescent Photobacterium kishitanii
The genus Photobacterium was first coined by Martin Beijerinck, in 1889, and originally referred to all bacteria capable of light production. Species belonging to Photobacterium are gram negative, rod shaped, chemoorganotrophic, facultative aerob... Read More
Achnanthes longipes (a diatom, Bacillariophyta) (1000x)
Nikon Small World 2012 PHOTOMICROGRAPHY COMPETITION, IMAGE OF DISTINCTION, Dr. Victor Chepurnov, De Water Architect, Ghent, Belgium Read More
Nikon Small World 2012 PHOTOMICROGRAPHY COMPETITION, IMAGE OF DISTINCTION, Wim van Egmond, Micropolitan Museum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Nassula ornata, conjugating ciliates Read More
Nikon Small World 2012 PHOTOMICROGRAPHY COMPETITION, IMAGE OF DISTINCTION, Rogelio Moreno Gill
Euplotes belongs to the class Nassophorea in the phylum Ciliophora; the ciliates, of which there are approximately 8,000 species, are generally considered to be the most evolved and complex of the p... Read More
I am just submitting this as a test submission so that I know how the whole process functions.
Image taken at Pashupathinah Temple in Kathmandu Nepal using a Nikon PS510 Read More
Living green alga Euglena mutabilis. Technique: Differential interference contrast. Credit: Gerd Gunther, Düsseldorf, Germany
Nikon Small World 2012 Honorable Mention. Read More
I comment a bit, as an educator, about the loss of Carl Woese. Not only the importance of his discoveries, but how he went about his work, remains of great value. Read More
A quick demonstration of how my Microbial Mania can impact the holiday season! Read More
Red algae Scagelia, showing reproductive tetraspores and golden diatoms. 2nd place winner of Olympus BioScapes photomicrography contest 2012.
Credit: Dr. Arlene Wechezak, Anacortes, Washington Read More
The winners of Olympus' annual live sciences photography competition are in, with the top 10 submissions revealing an entire world of microscopic wonder.
It's the 10th year of Olympus' BioScapes international digital-imaging competition — where photographers from around the globe can send in ... Read More