Single-celled organism devours prey in video

Wim van Egmond’s microscopic video of a Trachelius ciliate feeding on a Campanella ciliate is the winner of the fifth annual Nikon Small World in Motion Competition.

“Wildlife is so close to us, yet most of us never look close enough to see it,” says van Egmond.

“A pool in your garden is actually a miniature underwater jungle teeming with life. If you want to see the world, your backyard is a great place to start.”

Mr. van Egmond is a former first-place winner of Nikon Small World, Nikon’s long-standing sister competition awarding still photography captured under the microscope.

He says that in recent years he has put more time in moving images, thanks to advancing DSLR video capabilities that allow him to capture movement and behaviour of microorganisms.

“For me, microscopy is about exploring living organisms – so you should see them alive and moving,” said van Egmond.

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