A group of researchers at Stanford University introduced Foldscope in 2014—a handheld microscope that can take pictures of cells and is almost entirely constructed out of paper. It takes about 30 minutes to put together. Tens of millions of people have used foldscopes to date, mostly schoolchildren, to capture images of the microscopic world.
The accessibility of optical microscopy has been greatly democratized by Foldscope. Currently, scientists at Winona State College in Minnesota have developed a design for a “glowscope,” a device that could democratize access to fluorescence microscopy, at least in part.
Fluorescent microscope variants with more subtle capabilities include confocal laser scanning and epifluorescence microscopes.
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Fluorescent Microscope
A fluorescent microscope can watch the fluorophores as they move inside the object during fluorescence, revealing the object’s internal structure and various characteristics. For instance, the Hoechst stain, a fluorophore that binds to DNA and is activated by ultraviolet light, is a fluorophore. So it is entirely possible to inject the Hoechst stain into a tissue pattern obtained from an individual and place it under a fluorescent microscope. The stain absorbs the sunlight and emits it at a different wavelength when the pattern is illuminated by ultraviolet light. In the nuclei of cells, where DNA is found, the microscope will highlight the location where the action is happening. This will allow the tissue’s nuclei to be labeled for future research.
Different fluorophores have been created by scientists to identify and study a variety of entities, ranging from specific DNA elements to protein complexes. On the other hand, fluorescence microscopes can cost up to crores of rupees, usually more than a lakh.
How does the brand-new device improve access?
Researchers from Winona State University have described a basic fluorescence microscope in the new study, claiming that it can be put together for $30–50 (roughly Rs. 2,500–4,100). Many people in India might not be capable of this, however, colleges and universities can.
The researchers stated in their paper, “We reveal the flexibility of those devices… to detect green and red fluorophores as well as to watch and detect changes to heart rate and rhythmicity in embryonic zebrafish.”
They have set up shop with two plexiglass surfaces, an LED flashlight, three theater stage lighting filters, a clip-on macro lens, and a smartphone. The smartphone is placed on one floor that is suspended at a peak (perhaps a foot above), along with the attached lens. The object is supported by and placed beneath the second sheet.
Study Subjects
The study’s subjects were zebrafish embryos prepared in a petri dish in accordance with accepted procedures to ensure their safety. Different fluorophores were injected into them, depending on which area of the embryos had caught the researchers’ attention. LED flashlights that emitted light at correspondingly various wavelengths served as additional sources of illumination.
With this setup, the scientists were able to visualize the creatures’ brains, spinal cord, heart, and head and jaw bones (using the fluorophores mCherry, dsRed, and mRFP, respectively). They were able to zoom in and out by using the clip-on lens and the smartphone camera, as well as by adjusting the distance between the pattern and the smartphone platforms.
However, because a basic fluorescent microscope can be set up for only a few thousand rupees, researchers can prepare samples and bring them to universities so that students can observe them rather than having their work completely out of reach. Foldscopes and “glowscopes” can be used in conjunction to teach students and researchers in labs with limited resources more about the microscopic world.
