Foldscope

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I am a microbiologist, so needless to say I’m fascinated by the microscopic world. I can literally spend hours using my microscope exploring life in a sample of pond water. What I find most intriguing is that there is a universe all around us that we never see. We live side by side with Having access to a quality microscope changes that. Students of all ages are captivated by the incredible detail they can discern with a microscope’s magnification. Unfortunately, many students lack access to a microscope. While some public libraries or universities may have microscopes available to lend out, typically the waiting list is long. Two years ago when I was teaching biology in a co-op setting, several parents put their name on the waiting list at our local library. Unfortunately, by the time our turn with the microscope came, we had moved on from the topic we’d wanted to use it to study. Because they are so many incredible things to examine with a microscope—things that could inspire a student to pursue a career in science—it’s my desire that every middle and high school student could have access to a microscope. This is why I was elated to find out about a new, affordable microscope on the market: the What is a Foldscope? Manu Prakash, co-creator of the Foldscope (right) The mission of Foldscope is “to break down the price barrier between people & the curiosity and excitement of scientific exploration.” Foldscope was invented by Manu Prakash and Jim Cybulski while Jim was a doc...

Imagine taking a walk in your favorite neighborhood when you suddenly spot a bug that looks interesting. If you want to observe it in microscopic detail, all you have to do is whip out your own deluxe foldscope individual kit and take a few quick pictures with your smartphone. And the same works with things less attractive than iridescent beatles, such as skin lesions in a remote clinic. We first With potential uses in both the educational and cheap medical diagnostics industry, the foldscope has already begun to change the way tens of thousands of people observe the microscopic world, one lens at a time. The kit The original foldscope was hailed as being a $0.50 paper microscope, and true to its price. They now sell at $35 for 20 basic kits, which is mainly aimed at classrooms and resource-poor schools. These kits consist of pooled accessories and 20 separate foldscopes (140X lenses). For individual users looking for a premium experience, the Deluxe kit sells at $35 which comes with a full set of accessories. By buying the Deluxe kit, consumers support more foldscopes to be sent to communities that do not have the resources to engage with science. The Deluxe kit includes two 140X mounted lenses with magnetic couplers, an origami style instruction manual for assembling the body of the device, a handheld magnifier and several sample preparation items such as petridishes, filter sheets, tweezers, tape and mesh strainers. Two prepared slides (stained fern and skeletal muscle)...