microscope

A biologist at Southern Arkansas University has received an honorable mention in Nikon's international video competition, which recognizes outstanding microscopic imagery and videography from researchers worldwide. The award highlights the university's science programs and the researcher's work capturing biological processes on camera. Details about the researcher's name and the winning footage have not yet been widely reported.

A German-language science communicator has published an explainer on microscopy, noting that many structures inside our cells are too small to be distinguished with ordinary light microscopes, and outlining how they can nevertheless be made visible. The piece is presented as a short excursion under the banner 'Wissenschaft als Weg' (Science as a Path), continuing a series of accessible science posts.

A parent set up a morning science activity for their children, examining garden dirt, salt and sugar under a microscope. The parent says the simple experiment turned out to be just as fascinating for the adults as for the kids, prompting warm reactions from other parents sharing home learning ideas.

A stained cross-section of a blade of grass viewed under a microscope is delighting people online because the water-conducting channels look like tiny smiley faces. Phil Gates of Durham University created the glowing effect using two stains: calcofluor M2R, which turns cellulose blue, and Auramine O. The image highlights the plant structures that draw water up through the grass.

A science communicator posted a joke telling followers he was stood at the exact location of the blood-brain barrier, tagging neuroscience and biology communities. The gag plays on the barrier being a microscopic structure found throughout the brain's blood vessels, so anyone is technically at its location. Followers in neuroscience and biomedical circles have been sharing and liking the quip.

The 2026 Nikon Small World photomicrography contest has awarded its top prize to an image capturing ink droplets in motion under a microscope. The winning micrograph is being shared widely, with readers praising the combination of scientific technique and artistic composition. Nikon's annual contest showcases extreme close-up photography, and this year's winner highlights how everyday fluids can produce striking visuals at microscopic scale.

The tardigrade, or 'water bear', is a microscopic animal under one millimetre long that can survive conditions fatal to nearly everything else. It has endured the vacuum of space, radiation doses around 1,000 times the human lethal limit, and decades frozen, reviving fully once rehydrated. Its survival relies on curling into a dormant state that shields its cells from extreme damage.

Researchers studying an Aratasaurus museunacionali fossil from Brazil have identified microscopic structures resembling red blood cells, containing heme molecules, preserved in 115-million-year-old dinosaur bone. The discovery offers rare evidence that soft-tissue and blood-related material can survive tens of millions of years, and is drawing interest from paleontologists and the public curious about how such fragile structures endured fossilization.

Engineers have revealed a microscopic drawing of the USS Enterprise from Star Trek hidden on a component of the iPhone 6S. The artwork, known as silicon art, is etched onto chips by semiconductor designers as a playful signature. A close-up photograph of the hidden design has been shared, delighting both Apple fans and Star Trek enthusiasts.

A science communication group is running Microscopy Monday, a recurring livestream examining fossils, insects and other tiny subjects under the microscope. Recent episodes have included special segments on stingers, coffee and neuroscience, ice age animals, and a guest appearance from HeroRats, the organisation behind trained rats that detect landmines. The streams air in the evening on Twitch, aiming to make microscopy and STEM topics accessible to a general audience.

Scientists have developed 3D-printed microscopic drug depots designed to deliver chemotherapy directly to tumors, potentially reducing damage to healthy tissue. The tiny implants could release medication right where cancer cells live, improving treatment effectiveness and cutting side effects. The approach is still at an early research stage, but it has drawn attention as a promising direction in targeted cancer therapy.