A mushroom seen growing in my kitchen garden was plucked and washed. I tried to take its spore prints as taught in my practical class. For 2 days, I placed the cap of mushrrom under a glass cover and obtained a spore print. The spore print thus obtained was used to study the spores…
Tag: #Indiafoldscopephase 1
Rotting apple under foldscope
I and my friend Divya had purchased apples from a mart and one of the apples was rotten. Learning foldscopy is amazing, as you try it everywhere. We tried to peep through a foldscope to see the microbes that had caused it. This post is open to read and review on The Winnower.
Studying Post- harvest losses in fruits during storage using foldscope
Apples are a delicacy of North India and are supplied from Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh to the entire India. Long distance transport requires a proper storage at low temperature. However, certain losses may occur during storage. An apple obtained from supermarket showed a rotting spot. A sample was taken from the infected area…
Ectoparasites on Rodents – Rats.
A Rat in a trap. It is euthanized as per AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals Name(required) Email(required) Website Message The Rat is laid on a table for basic identification and measurements. The ears are being examined for Ectoparasites The collected ectoparasites are being put in 70% Alcohol for short-term preservation. More collections being...
Twinning programme with North East PI
PI and Co-PI of DBT-Foldscope project , Kabo Nazrul Vidyabhan, Telimura, Tripura with their students visited to our Department and participated the workshop “Foldscope as a study and research tool “. In the 2nd half students of both Institutions visited a pond of ward no. 3 of Alipurduar municipality and learnt how to collect water…
Onion Root Tip
I have recently got an opportunity to attend a workshop at GGDSD college, CHANDIGARH. I was amazed to see Foldscope and its wonderful working. The slide which I have seen was of onion root tip. Harsh
Tutorial on Spore prints of mushrooms
Spore prints – These are made by the many microscopic spores falling from the mushroom, leaving a photographic impression. Significance – Each mushroom forms a characteristic pattern, so useful in identification and also a source of obtaining clean and homogenous spores for mushroom cultivation. Methodology: Pick out a mature mushroom Remove the stem so that…
Foldscope at Mannam Memorial Residential Higher Secondary School, Trivandrum, Kerala
The children were used to the usual microscopes with Eyepiece and Objective. The single lens of Foldscope with the high magnifying power evoked curiosity.
Spoilage of dairy products
Milk cream samples obtained from a dairy showed fungal growth. On foldscoping the sample, sporangia were observed on long sporangiophores. The fungal hyphae had grown extensively to form a mat- like structure. Is it a fungal biofilm ? This post is open to read and review on The Winnower.
Moldy growth on carrot during storage
Post-harvest losses of vegetables and fruits due to fungal growth during storage lead to heavy losses to farmers financially. I collected a sample of carrot from vegetable market which had fungal growth on it. On observing through a foldscope, I could make out black moldy growth and interwoven hyphae. This post is open to read…
Mushroom spores
Mushroom spores are one-celled, reproductive units. Spores are different in size, shape, and color, so act as an important identification feature for a species of mushroom. I went for a nature walk and seen some wild mushrooms I prepared a slide and Foldscoped it. observed spores-these are one-celled, reproductive units -capable of germinating into mycelium, under…
Stomata under foldscope
leaf peel was stained with safranin for 30 sec and then observed under the foldscope and we were able to see the stomata cells.
Onion peel
Onion peel was stained with safranin for 30 sec and then observed under the foldscope and we were able to see the cells.
Unidentified disease on Duranta
The Duranta hedge growing in my garden is lately showing diseased symptoms. Its leaves are curled at margins and puckered. Observing these regions under foldscope revealed hypertrophy. Cellular masses were seen in these hypertrophied regions. The cause of these symptoms is not clear. This post is open to read and review on The Winnower.
Aspergillus species
Aspergillus sp. is isolated from museum object.
Stomatal arrangement in Bryophyllum
Bryophyllum pinnatum commonly known as Patharchatta. But few other common names are Miracle Leaf, air plant, cathedral bells, Goethe plant. It belongs to family Crassulaceae. It has many medicinal properties. I just plucked one leaf from the potted plant and removed a part of the peel from the leaf and foldscoped it.
Pollen of a fodder bean under foldscope
Dolichos lablab is an important fodder crop and highly nutritious as rich in proteins. The pollen grains were isolated from mature flowers and observed under foldscope. This post is open to read and review on The Winnower.
Wild plants of Chandigarh – Specimen 2 (Hyacinth bean )
Wild plants of Chandigarh – Specimen 2 (Hyacinth bean ) Botanical name – Dolichos lablab) Family – Fabaceae Collection site – Sec-47, Chandigarh Habitat – Wild Habit – Climber near dumping ground Leaf – Compound, trifoliate Inflorescence – Raceme Flower – Bisexual, zygomorphic, polypetalous, didynamus (1+9), papilionaceous corolla, creamish-white in …
Feathery style, stigma and pollination drop of Lablab
The pistil of Lablab – the flat bean flower was seen to have feathery style, and a capitate stigma under a foldscope. A pollination drop on stigma was a treat to watch under foldscope. This post is open to read and review on The Winnower.
Observation of fungal spores on tea leaf
Observation of fungal spores on tea leaf: Wetted tea leaves were kept in a Petri dish and were incubated in a moist chamber for several days till the fungus growth was observed. The fungus was then stained with lacto phenol cotton blue and observed under both foldscope and microscope. Fig. below :A, B, C- foldscope,…
Observation of the pigmentation pattern in leaves
Observation of the pigmentation pattern in the Croton leaf and yellow tabebuia flower: The surface of a leaf of croton plant/petal of the yellow tabebuia flower was scrapped and observed under foldscope without any staining. .
Observation of stomata of onion peel and bulb
The epidermal cells of an onion act as a protective barrier against the microbes. A layer of the epidermal cells were peeled from an onion bulb and leaf was examined as follows: The inner transparent lining of an onion bulb was peeled. A small layer of the peeled onion was transferred to a watch glass…
Feeding of mosquito larvae
Osazone crystals of sugars
Osazone crystals of Glucose, Galactose, Maltose, and sucrose were observed under foldscope and foldscope and microscope. The osazone test involves the reaction of reducing sugars and phenylhydrazine in boiling temperatures resulting in the formation of osazone crystals. This test is specific for a given reducing sugar and is an identification test routinely done in Biochemistry. . ….
Spoilage molds growing on walls
Do molds spoil only foods? No they also are a nuisance on walls. Moldy growth on a wall shows greenish cotton-like growth. On analyzing it under a foldscope, it was seen to be Aspergillus. Samriti Dhawan & Jasveen Dua (GGDSD College, Chandigarh) This post is open to read and review on The Winnower.
Fungus within an apple core
On cutting an apple, i saw a fuzzy white fungus in the central core region of the apple. I took a sample and fixed it on a slide to look under a foldscope. It was a weft of fungal hyphae. I tried to locate the spores, but in vain. The entire apple other-wise had no…