“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)

Pro-Russian activists attack policemen guarding the burned trade union building in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa on May 3, 2014. More than 30 people were killed in a “criminal” blaze in Ukraine's southern city of Odessa, as violence spread across the country during the bloodiest day since Kiev's Western-backed government took power. Ukraine's interior ministry said at least 31 people had died in the fire Friday, with local media reporting that pro-Russian militants were believed to have been in the burning building at the time. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov/AFP Photo)

Isabeau Levito of the United States reacts after skating in the women's free program during the International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada, on March 22, 2024. (Photo by Geoff Robins/AFP Photo)

Erin Brooks of Canada surfs in the Heat 3 of the Round of 16 during the 2024 GWM Sydney Surf Pro at North Narrabeen Beach on May 12, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images)

Tearful Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu after the UEFA EURO 2024 Quarter-Final football match between Netherlands and Turkiye at Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany on July 06, 2024. (Photo by Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters)

This picture taken on October 22, 2024 shows South Korean shooter Kim Ye-ji posing for a photo during an interview with AFP at a shooting range in Seoul. Kim, 32, won silver in the women's 10m air pistol at this summer's Paris Olympics and captured the internet's attention with her nonchalant cool. But she told AFP that she fell into her sport by accident. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je/AFP Photo)

Itzae, a three-and-a-half-month-old albino puma cub, walks in its enclosure as it is being presented to the public for the first time, at the Thomas Belt Zoo, in Juigalpa, Nicaragua on November 10, 2023. (Photo by Maynor Valenzuela/Reuters)

A fan of Colombia wears a tiger costume prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group H match between Germany and Colombia at Sydney Football Stadium on July 30, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)