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"I believe I was 7 or 8 when I was delighted to receive a microscope for my birthday. I immediately ran out to the creek to collect some algae—and rather stagnant water—thinking it would be full of bugs. I was right. I also looked at onion cells and cells from my own cheek. What a blast!"

"I think it was during a 7th-grade science class that I first looked at a drop of pond water through a microscope and saw an amazing collection of strange creatures—hydra, rotifers, and other tiny organisms. I was fascinated to think that there was a whole world out there we don't usually see. Maybe that inspired me to want to know what else could be revealed by high-resolution imaging."

"When I was about 12, my parents gave me my first microscope. In my excitement to peer through it, I immediately began looking for a suitable substance to study. Eventually, I plucked a hair from my own head."

"When I was growing up in Finland, experimental science was not a big part of school. At home, I once discovered parts of my grandfather's antique microscope. With some tape and cardboard, I managed to fashion these bits into a working scope, producing a blurry image. I was unimpressed. It wasn't until many years later, after finding ways to study molecular events by imaging, that the microscope became one of my favorite tools."