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The winners of the 2008 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition are up at olympusbioscapes.com.

The Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition recognizes outstanding images of life science specimens captured through light microscopes, using any magnification, any illumination technique and any brand of equipment.

Images are judged based on the following criteria:

• Science - Uniqueness of the specimen or processes shown, importance of work, new information revealed, "story" told.
• Aesthetics - Beauty or impact of the image, balance, composition.
• Technical merit - Challenge of specimen itself - difficulty of capturing structures or data shown, photographic excellence.

Entry deadline for next year's competition is September 30, 2009, and First Prize is the winner's choice of Olympus microscope or camera equipment valued at $5,000. Nine additional winners will also receive valuable prizes from Olympus, and many more will receive recognition as honorable mentions. Winners also are displayed at museums around the country. This year's museum tour will go to:

BioScapes Museum Tour Schedules

March 1, 2008 - May 30, 2008 - DaVinci Science Center, Allentown, PA (2006 Tour)

March 17, 2008 - May 9, 2008 - University of Rochester Med Ctr, Rochester, NY (2007 Tour)

April 7, 2008 - July 1, 2008 - St.Louis Museum of Science, St.Louis, MO (2005 Tour)

May 19, 2008 - July 25, 2008 - MBL, Woods Hole, MA (2007 Tour)

June 2, 2008 - August 29, 2008 - Maryland Science Center, Baltimore, MD (2006 Tour)

July 7, 2008 - October 1, 2008 - Dallas Science Center, Dallas, TX (2005 Tour)

August 1, 2008 - October 31, 2008 - NY Hall of Science, New York, NY (2007 Tour)

November 1, 2008 - December 21, 2008 - San Diego Science Center, San Diego, CA (2007 Tour)