The Olympus–Current Biology photomicrography competition

The Olympus–Current Biology photomicrography competition This spectacular image of mitosis in a newt lung cell is the winning entry in the Olympus–Current Biology photomicrography competition. — using epithelial lung cells of the Northwestern rough skinned newt (Taricha granulosa). This cell is in late anaphase or early telophase of mitosis. Three fluorescent probes have been used to reveal different parts of the cell. The image shows two groups of separated daughter chromosomes (blue) fusing to reform nuclei; the spindle has disassembled and the new midbody of microtubules (yellow–green) is forming between the groups of chromosomes. Cytokinesis (division of the cytoplasm) is under way, and the cytokinetic furrow is just beginning to pinch the cell in half. Keratin filaments appear in red. The microtubules and keratin filaments were stained by conventional indirect immunofluorescent methods; the chromosomes were stained using Hoechst 33342. The image was taken on Velvia Fujichrome film using a 60× objective with an Omega Optical multi-band filter set (XK67). Dr Rieder's laboratory will receive an Olympus CAMEDIA digital camera which, among other things, will be used to construct a Rieder family home page. Second prize in the competition — an Olympus µ zoom camera — has been won by Bill Richardson at University College, London. This image, and some of the runners up, will appear in this column in the coming issues.