Plenty of Beauty at the Bottom
The NNCI Image Contest 2026
In honor of National Nanotechnology Day, October 9th, the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) is hosting our annual Plenty of Beauty at the Bottom image contest. Referencing Richard Feynman’s 1959 lecture, "There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom," this image contest celebrates the beauty of the micro and nanoscale. Images featured in this contest are produced at one of the 16 NNCI sites during the past two years. Click on the categories below to see all of the images and learn about the research. Voting opened on September 29, 2026, at 6AM EST and closed on October 7, 2026, at 11:59 PM.
Most Stunning
Most Unique Capability
Most Whimsical
Sites from across the NNCI contributed stunning, unique, and whimsical images of the micro and nanoscale for the 2026 image contest. The public cast over 1,700 votes to determine this year’s winners. First place winning artists will receive up to $1,000 in travel support to a professional conference of their choice and their sites receive a framed print of their winning image. Sites who received honorable mentions will also receive a framed print of their image. Congratulations to all our winners and thank you for participating!
Most Stunning Winner
The Hidden Architecture of Biochar
Artist: Junead Mankari, PhD Candidate, University of Louisville
NNCI Site: KY Multiscale
Tool: SEM - MNTC's Huson Lab (UofL)
Most Stunning - Honorable Mention
Into the µnknown
Artist(s): Luis Fernando Ayala, Graduate Student, Kelley Lab, Northwestern University
NNCI Site: Northwestern University-NUANCE Center
Tool: Hitachi SU8030 SEM
Most Unique Capability - Winner
Star Atlas
Artist: Alp Kulaksizoglu, Graduate Student, Dravid Research Group, Northwestern University
NNCI Site: Northwestern University-NUANCE Center
Tool: Hitachi SU8700 SEM – TKD/EBSD pattern
Most Unique Capability - Honorable Mention
Human Norovirus GII.4 Viral Like Particles
Artists: Sai Navya Vadlamudi (Graduate Student) & Lijuan Yuan (Professor), Virginia Tech
NNCI Site: NanoEarth
Tool: JEOL JEM 1400
Most Whimsical - Winner
From Pores into Valleys
Artist: Carly Zhang, High School intern in the Bao Lab, Stanford University
NNCI Site: nano@stanford
Tool: FEI Helios 600i scanning electron microscope
Most Whimsical - Honorable Mention
Universal Symmetry, Written in Light and Life
Artists: Mahboubeh Ebrahimian (Graduate Student), Kyle Nowlin (Senior Research Scientist), & Reza Zadegan (Professor), Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
NNCI Site: SENIC