A 3D Printed Microscope Lets Kids 'Play' Microbiology

A 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 blue-print 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 builds yourself. 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. You can select a cell, track it and collect data about it that you can then analyse and discuss. You can really do simple research in educational settings.