Chinese engineer wins Nikon Small World in Motion contest
Ning Xu from Tsinghua University in Beijing has won Nikon's Small World in Motion competition. His winning video shows the abnormal beating of airway cilia in a child with a rare genetic respiratory disorder.
An optical engineer from China has won Nikon's Small World in Motion video contest. Ning Xu of Tsinghua University in Beijing submitted the winning entry, a super-resolution video depicting the abnormal beating of cilia in the airways of a child diagnosed with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD).
The competition, established in 2011, is an extension of Nikon's established Small World Photomicrography Competition, which began in 1974. Both contests aim to highlight the complexity and aesthetic qualities of microscopic subjects captured through light microscopy.
Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia is a genetic condition that affects the function of cilia, the small, hair-like structures lining various tissues, including the respiratory tract. These cilia normally move in a coordinated fashion to clear mucus and debris. In individuals with PCD, ciliary dysfunction leads to impaired clearance, resulting in recurrent respiratory infections and other health complications.