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

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. 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. 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.