A sеx worker performs in a mobile peep show to protest against the decision that sеx workers are not yet allowed to return to work, in The Hague, The Netherlands. 02 March 2021. The Dutch cabinet stipulated that all contact professions could return to work after a lockdown, but excluded sеx workers from resuming their work. (Photo by Sem van der Wal/EPA/EFE)

A dog owner feeds her dog during a dinner for dogs event ahead of the Lunar New Year at Kong Shan Yunnan Bistro restaurant in Shanghai, China, on January 25, 2025. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Reuters)

A fan of Colombia cheers prior to a qualifying soccer match against Venezuela for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Metropolitano stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia, Thursday, September 7, 2023. (Photo by Fernando Vergara/AP Photo)

Family members pose for photos near lava flowing from Pacaya Volcano near El Patrocinio village in San Vicente Pacaya, Guatemala, Friday, April 16, 2021. (Photo by Moises Castillo/AP Photo)

The Rockettes perform at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York, US on November 30, 2021. (Photo by Ralph Bavaro/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

History enthusiasts dressed as soldiers fight during the re-enactment of Napoleon's famous battle of Austerlitz near the southern Moravian town of Slavkov u Brna November 29, 2014. Hundreds of history enthusiasts took part in the re-enactment of the battle to mark its 209th anniversary. (Photo by David W. Cerny/Reuters)

Participants of the 77th edition of the annual Christmas swimming 'Coupe de Noel' jump into the waters of Lake Geneva, in Geneva, Switzerland, 20 December 2015. More than 1,540 men and women braved the water temperature of just 8 degrees Celsius as they swam a 120 meters distance at the traditional Christmas swimming in Geneva. (Photo by Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA)

“Microscope images forge an extraordinary bond between science and art, said Hidenao Tsuchiya, Olympus America's Vice President and General Manager for the Scientific Equipment Group. We founded this competition to focus on the fascinating stories coming out of today's life science research laboratories. The thousands of images that people have shared with the competition over the years reflect some of the most exciting work going on in research today – work that can help shed light on the living universe and ultimately save lives. We look at BioScapes and these beautiful images as sources of education and inspiration to us and the world”. – OlympusBioScapes

Photo: Pretarsus of the third leg of a female drone fly (Eristalis tenax), ventral view, by Dr. Jan Michels, Institute of Zoology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany. (Photo by Olympus BioScapes)