On the Tip of My Tongue - Oral Bacteria Under the Microscope

The winning image in the category of Life Sciences of the 2022 ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest was submitted by Dr. Tagide deCarvalho of  the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (USA). It shows  tongue epithelial cells adjoined by several different species of bacteria which form a complex biofilm on the tongue’s surface.  The sample has been stained with DAPI, acridine orange and calcofluor white and was acquired with the ZEISS LSM 900 confocal microscope with Airyscan detector.

The oral cavity has the second largest and diverse microbiota after the gut harboring over 700 species of bacteria.  Understanding the oral microbiome in health and disease will give further directions in drug development and targeted therapies.  

For the second year in a row, ZEISS celebrates the work of researchers using microscopy in various application fields with the ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest. ZEISS users from all around the globe submitted almost 1,000 fascinating entries.  The 2022 ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest was open from April 1 to May 15.  
A selection of the images will be included in the ZEISS Microscopy Calendar 2023.