New 3D printed microscope lets kids "play" microbiology

27 October 2016 - 20:28 By REUTERS

Playing classic video games like Pac-Man with living single-celled microbes thinner than a human hair is now possible thanks to an interactive microscope developed by bioengineers at Stanford University. After several prototypes, the researchers released blueprints earlier this month for a "LudusScope" in the international scientific journal PLOS ONE, offering kids of all ages a playful window into the world of microbiology."It's a microscope that you can 3D print and build yourself," Ingmar Riedel-Kruse, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford, told Reuters.After it is assembled, tiny, light-responsive organisms called Euglena swim on a microscope slide surrounded by four LED lights. The lights are controlled by a joystick, allowing users to control the direction in which the microbes move."You turn microscopy from something that is purely observational into something that is interactive," Riedel-Kruse said.The final component is a smartphone that attaches to the eyepiece of the device, transforming it from a simple interactive microscope into a rudimentary gaming platform and research tool.The scientists at the Palo Alto-based university have developed software programs that overlay on top of the image of cells. By selecting specific cells, users can influence their movement and guide them through a maze that resembles the 1980s video game Pac-Man. Kids can also play soccer by steering their microbes through goal posts.The games, according to Riedel-Kruse, evolve into basic research."You can select a cell, track it and collect data about it that you can then analyze and discuss," Riedel-Kruse said. "You can really do simple research in educational settings."Using the plans publicly published, anyone can build a LudusScope now, but Riedel-Kruse said assembly is complex.He plans to use recently awarded grant money to further develop the microscope into a ready-to-use science kit that he hopes will be commercially available in 2018.- Videos courtesy of Stanford,..

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