This arresting image of the hand of an embryonic Madagascar giant day gecko took first place in the annual competition.
Enlarge / This arresting image of the hand of an embryonic Madagascar giant day gecko took first place in the annual competition.

The giant day gecko is a popular exotic pet due to its resemblance to Geico's mascot. Adults measure about 10 inches in length and are known for their bright green body color and red stripe from the nose to the eye. The creatures don't have eyes, so they can lick their eyeballs. Physicists find those sticky pads on their feet and hands fascinating.

A Swiss graduate student, Grigorii Timin, and his advisor, Michael Milink, have created a striking photo microscopy image of an embryo of the most famous appendage of the gecko. Eric Flem, a communications manager for Nikon, said that it was the winning image in the Small World Photomicrography Competition that highlighted "stunning imagery from scientists, artists, and photomicrographers of all experiences and background from across the globe."

The sample was prepared using whole-mount fluorescent staining of the tissue. When it comes to high-resolution microscopy, an embryo's hand is a large sample. Timin used image-stitching to create the final result after merging hundreds of images. The nerves in the embryo are highlighted by the cyan sections and other colors.

The top 10 winners of the contest are listed here. The full list of winners and several honorable mentions can be found here.

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Caleb Dawson of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia:
Enlarge / Caleb Dawson of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia: "Breast tissue showing contractile myoepithelial cells wrapped around milk-producing alveoli."
Satu Paavonsalo and Sinem Karaman, University of Helsinki, Finland:
Enlarge / Satu Paavonsalo and Sinem Karaman, University of Helsinki, Finland: "Blood vessel networks in the intestine of an adult mouse."
Pholcus phalangioides)" ">Andrew Posselt, University of California, San Francisco: Pholcus phalangioides)" " src="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/nikon4-640x764.jpg" srcset="https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/nikon4.jpg 2x">
Enlarge / Andrew Posselt, University of California, San Francisco: "Long-bodied cellar/daddy long-legs spider (Pholcus phalangioides)"
Lamproderma) ">Alison Pollack, San Anselmo, California: Slime mold (<em>Lamproderma</em>)
Enlarge / Alison Pollack, San Anselmo, California: Slime mold (Lamproderma)
Ole Bielfeldt, Macrofying Cologne, Germany:
Enlarge / Ole Bielfeldt, Macrofying Cologne, Germany: "Unburned particles of carbon released when the hydrocarbon chain of candle wax breaks down."
Jianqun Gao and Glenda Halliday, University of Sydney, Australia:
Enlarge / Jianqun Gao and Glenda Halliday, University of Sydney, Australia: "Human neurons derived from neural stem cells."
Nathanaël Prunet, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Enlarge / Nathanaël Prunet, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: "Growing tip of a red algae."
Marek Sutkowski, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland:
Enlarge / Marek Sutkowski, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland: "Liquid crystal mixture (smectic Felix 015)."
Murat Öztürk, Ankara, Turkey:
Enlarge / Murat Öztürk, Ankara, Turkey: "A fly under the chin of a tiger beetle."
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