The DIY smartphone microscope that lets you play Pac-Man and soccer with microbes

Small platform holds the microscope slide, where Euglena swim around
These single-celled, light-seeking organisms can be controlled by LEDs
Researchers have created a virtual soccer game and Pac-Man like maze

Published: 16:54 EST, 7 October 2016 | Updated: 16:54 EST, 7 October 2016

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Microbiology might not be everyone's idea of fun, but a new DIY project from Stanford University aims to bring ‘playful interaction’ to the study of single-celled organisms.

A bioengineer has developed a 3-D printed smartphone microscope that allows users to observe microbes called Euglena, to make serious observations or even play games.

The researchers have revealed interactive platforms to go along with the device, including a virtual soccer game and a Pac-Man-like maze, which rely on the movement of the tiny light-seeking organisms.

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A bioengineer has developed a 3-D printed smartphone microscope that allows users to observe microbes called Euglena, to make serious observations or even play games. This includes a Pac-Man-like maze, relying on the movement of the light-seeking organisms

HOW IT WORKS

A small platform on the device holds the microscope slide, where Euglena swim around freely.

These microbes respond to light, and four LEDs activated by a joystick can be used to influence the directions by which they travel by varying the intensity.

Users can select a particular cell to track, and view microscope scale bars and real-time speed.

In a paper published to the journal PLOS One, the researchers explain that this system was designed to be an accessible, low-cost educational tool – the full setup costs just under $100 to achieve, and with access to a 3-D printer, this drops down to roughly $60.

The Pac-Man game allows users to select a particular cell to track, and use the LED lights to guide its movements through a maze in order to collect the dots.

In the soccer game, points can be earned by guiding the Euglena through the goal posts.

‘Many subject areas like engineering or programming have neat toys that get kids into it, but microbiology does not have that to the same degree,’ Ingmar Riedel-Kruse, an assistant professor of bioengineering, told Stanford News.

‘The initial idea for this project was to play games with living cells on your phone. And then it developed much beyond that to enable self-driven inquiry, measurement and building your own instrument.’

The smartphone device, called the LudusScope, is an open-sourced system made from 3-D printed materials, which can easily be replicated by following the instructions in the paper.

Along with the educational-gaming applications, this tool can be used for serious observation, the researchers say. It includes microscope scale bars, real-time displays of swimming speed, and the ability to zoom in on individual cells

In a paper published to the journal PLOS One , the researchers explain that this system was designed to be an accessible, low-cost educational tool – the full setup costs just under $100 to achieve, and with access to a 3-D printer, this drops down to roughly $60

A small platform on the device holds the microscope slide, where Euglena swim around freely.

These microbes respond to light, and four LEDs activated by a joystick can be used to influence the directions by which they travel.

‘The analog joystick controlling these LEDs enables users to explore the cells’ response to varying light intensities,’ the authors wrote.

In the soccer game, pictured, points can be earned by guiding the Euglena through the goal posts

‘A circuit couples the analog joystick to a voltage divider to control the four directional LEDs. A diffused white LED is used for illumination, with brightness controlled by a potentiometer.

'Despite its simplicity, this circuit covers a variety of electronics fundamentals.’

Along with the educational-gaming applications, this tool can be used for serious observation, the researchers say.

It includes microscope scale bars, real-time displays of swimming speed, and the ability to zoom in on individual cells.

The team is now working to refine the design based on feedback from teachers and students, with hopes it will be available for purchase within the year.