From revealing the intricate structures of distant stars to illuminating the microscopic organisms lurking in pond water, lenses have long expanded human perception. On September 16, 2026, Nikon Instruments Inc. revealed the winners of its 16th annual Nikon Small World in Motion (SWIM) competition, a prestigious contest honoring outstanding digital time-lapse photography and video captured through light microscopy. The competition drew hundreds of submissions from both amateur and professional imaging enthusiasts, with judges evaluating entries based on originality, informational depth, technical skill, and visual strikingness. This year’s awardees offered a captivating look at the hidden world of microscopic life.
The first-place prize went to optical engineer Ning Xu of Tsinghua University. His video showcases the hair-like projections known as cilia that line the airways and beat rhythmically to clear mucus and debris from the lungs. In this work, Xu captured cilia movement in a patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare genetic disorder in which cilia function abnormally, compromising respiratory health. Employing diffractive super-resolution microscopy, Xu and his team bring these delicate living structures into vivid focus.
Nikon’s 2026 Small World in Motion first-place video features the abnormal beating of airway cilia from a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia, a genetic disorder affecting respiratory function. This video was taken by Ning Xu of Tsinghua University.
Courtesy of Nikon Small World.
“When people watch cilia beating, they immediately understand that something beautiful and important is happening inside us,” Xu said in a press release. “I think this competition turns microscopy into a shared language.”
Beyond the realm of human cilia, other winners captured the splendor of diverse organisms. Nguyen Nam Nhat earned second place for his video depicting a tiny roundworm and a single-celled protist known as Dileptus navigating their shared microscopic environment. Dileptus is recognized as a predator in the microbial world, using its elongated, trunk-like appendage to hunt prey. He recorded these organisms using a differential interference contrast microscope.
Nikon’s 2026 Small World in Motion second-place video features a tiny roundworm and a single-cell protist called Dileptus. Dileptus is known to be a predator in the microscopic world and uses its long elephant-like snout to hunt. This video was taken by Nguyen Nam Nhat.
Courtesy of Nikon Small World.
Benedikt Pleyer took third place with a video of jellyfish larvae suspended within water droplets, captured using a darkfield microscope. The droplets provide a distinctive vantage point, allowing viewers to observe various larvae as they move through the liquid environment.
Nikon’s 2026 Small World in Motion third-place video features jellyfish larvae suspended in water droplets. This video was taken by Benedikt Pleyer.
Courtesy of Nikon Small World.
“Xu’s work, and the work of all our winners, reflects the competition’s enduring purpose to inspire wonder, fuel discovery, and showcase the artistry inherent in scientific exploration,” said Eric Flem, a communications and customer relationship management manager at Nikon Instruments Inc.
