“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)

Attendees look on at the event held by Kamala Harris during Election Night, at Howard University in Washington on November 6, 2024. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

A general view of a beauty salon on July 8, 2023 in Kabul, Afghanistan. This week, a Taliban spokesman said the group, which regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, was ordering the closure of beauty salons because they offered services forbidden by Islam. (Photo by Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images)

Supporters of former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrive for a campaign rally at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on October 29, 2024. (Photo by Angela Weiss/AFP Photo)

Russian model Irina Shayk arrives on September 4, 2022 for the screening of the film “L'Immensita” (Immensity) presented in the Venezia 79 competition as part of the 79th Venice International Film Festival at Lido di Venezia in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)

Supporters of Filipino boxer and Senatorial candidate Manny Pacquiao, wait for election souvenirs thrown by Pacquiao during election campaigning in Malabon Metro Manila in the Philippines May 6, 2016. Boxing star Manny Pacquiao pressed on with his campaign for a seat in the Philippine Senate despite a reported militant plot to kidnap him. (Photo by Erik De Castro/Reuters)

St Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado, centre, is doused with water by team-mates Masyn Winn and Lars Nootbaar after he took the team to victory against the Milwaukee Brewers of the last pitch of the game at Busch Stadium on August 21, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters)

A woman searches for nails and other metal scraps from remains of burned houses that were gutted during a fire at a poor bayside village in the district of Tondo, Manila, Philippines on Friday, May 20, 2022. Investigators said about 300 families became homeless after the fire that happened Thursday night. (Photo by Aaron Favila/AP Photo)