Clifton Herrmann

I’m happy to be joining the Foldscope community today! Having received one through a connection with one of my graduate professors, I can’t wait to take this bad boy out for a spin. While I’d assume everyone here has had the opportunity to put theirs together, for my first blog post I wanted to share just how easy it really was!


 <img alt="IMG_2170" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14648 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="14648" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1455015263","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.85","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2170" data-recalc-dims="1" height="224" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_14647/IMG_2170.jpg" width="300"/>


 When the scope arrived, I could hardly wait to get started! It was reminiscent a plastic piece of paper that had somehow survived a trip through the shredder, but with a beautiful nature-inspired design in the upper corner. I took a peek at the instructions and was able to quickly decipher what needed to happen next; it felt similar to my childhood forays into model building.


 <img alt="IMG_2181" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14649 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="14649" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1455018022","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.85","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.041666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2181" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_14647/IMG_2181.jpg" width="300"/>
 <img alt="IMG_2172" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14650 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="14650" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1455015412","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.85","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"3"}' data-image-title="IMG_2172" data-recalc-dims="1" height="224" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_14647/IMG_2172.jpg" width="300"/>


 A few steps in, and I’m chugging away. The pieces are easy to separate, and I’m really just using the instructions to make sure I’m on the right track as I go. I might have not even needed them! It’s fun looking at the different pieces and figuring out how they fit together. I have a feeling that this piece of paper will quickly become greater than the sum of its parts!


 <img alt="IMG_2175" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14651 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="14651" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1455015857","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.85","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"3"}' data-image-title="IMG_2175" data-recalc-dims="1" height="224" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_14647/IMG_2175.jpg" width="300"/>


 My “long-tailed turtle” is snugly in place, and I can start to see exactly how this scope is going to work. There’s an ingeniously-designed slot for microscope slides, and a hole in the center where my lens will poke through.  Holding it in my hands, I can already see how I can use my thumbs to adjust the view and focal length of the scope.


 <img alt="IMG_2180" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14652 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="14652" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1455017532","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.85","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.025","title":"","orientation":"3"}' data-image-title="IMG_2180" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_14647/IMG_2180.jpg" width="300"/>


 Turtle-tail folded down, and my lens is in place! I love the idea of the piece designed for photomicroscopy that adheres to a smartphone. The magnets on either side hold everything in perfect alignment with the scope lens, making it a “snap” to use. Let’s take it for a spin!


 <img alt="IMG_2292" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14655 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="14655" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1459689805","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.85","iso":"1000","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2292" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_14647/IMG_2292.jpg" width="300"/>
 <img alt="IMG_2293" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14656 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="14656" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1459689811","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.85","iso":"1000","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2293" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_14647/IMG_2293.jpg" width="300"/>
 <img alt="IMG_2294" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-14657 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="14657" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1459689847","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.85","iso":"1000","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2294" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_14647/IMG_2294.jpg" width="300"/>


 Snagged some
 
 Usnea
 
 lichen from outside, and it took me a minute or two to get acquainted with my new Foldscope. Before too long (and once I realized and corrected the issue of a backwards lens) I thought WOW! I was getting some amazing shots! I’ve worked with microscopes in the past, but love the powerful simplicity of this design. And look at that magnification!


 I’m really excited to take this scope around and see what I can see, so I’ll log off for now and report back soon. Again, I’m happy and thankful to have joined the Folscope community; I’ve greatly enjoyed looking at all the previous posts, and look forward to the many to come!


 Cheers and happy exploring!

Getting Started with my Foldscope

Don’t throw away old samples..

Today I wanted to see if I could make my folscope a little more smartphone friendly. While the folded housing of the scope is fantastic for fixed slides and direct hand-to-human-eye microscopy, I’ve had some difficulty when it comes to taking pictures with the camera on my phone.


 The issues are:

<ol>
 <li>
 Too many moving parts! Holding the scope lens directly over the camera lens, positioning the sample directly under both while adjusting focal length, and finally focusing the image and taking the shot are a few too many things for a two-handed person such as myself to safely accomplish.
 </li>
 <li>
 I’m looking at the wrong side! Watching the screen on the phones face while adjusting a sample on the backside means that I’m trying to look at two places simultaneously.
 </li>
 <li>
 Difficult to use in the field. While the standalone foldscope is very well suited for
 
 in situ
 
 microscopy, trying to take pictures can be.. well, trying.
 </li>
</ol>

 My general design will be a housing that fixes the foldscope lens over the camera on my phone without the need for dactyl intervention. I would also like to make use of the “selfie” camera, so that I can adjust the sample on the surface of the phone while watching the screen real-time. An added benefit of this is that ambient light (like from the sky) suddenly becomes your backlight (normally from below). This is essentially turning the foldscope into an inverted microscope, commonly used in the analysis of aquatic unicellular organisms.


 And voilá!


 <img alt="IMG_2443" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16064 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16064" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6s Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1463325813","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2443" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16062/IMG_2443-1.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_2446" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16065 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16065" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6s Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1463325891","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2446" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16062/IMG_2446.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_2448" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16066 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16066" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6s Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1463325995","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"40","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2448" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16062/IMG_2448.jpg" width="225"/>


 The new design is perfect for my needs. I can adjust the sample with one hand while focusing the image and taking the picture with the other. One issue is that I can no longer adjust focal length without holding the sample above the lens at the desired distance (difficult to hold still). Future models might be made more robust with an adjustable stage that rests on top of the lens.


 Overall a fun project that didn’t break the bank (2 nuts/bolts, 1 popsicle stick, and a small piece of clear plastic with holes drilled).


 Now to go science! Thanks for reading!

Foldscope Mod: Standing on the shoulders of giants

In past housing situations I’ve been lucky to enjoy play-only relationships with dogs whose physical and health needs were otherwise met by their responsibility-laden owners. Having recently moved into a new shared rental, I’m experiencing a unique treat in that one of my housemates is a true-story Chameleon owner. Pancake is a stunning-in-teal Panther Chameleon, species
 
 Furcifer pardalis
 
 . This species originates in northern Madagascar and is prized by exotic pet owners for its bright display of color-changing skin.


 <img alt="IMG_2427" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16131 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16131" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6s Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1463313823","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2427" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16127/IMG_2427.jpg" width="225"/>


 As an ecologist I have enjoyed watching Pancake transform from teal-pink-yellow to marble white as he falls asleep in the evening. And as a
 
 marine
 
 ecologist, I’ve found myself assuming the mechanism behind that change to be something familiar to me; organisms such as the octopus and squid that change color by stretching or contracting pigment-filled cells can be a common topic of interest. The more I thought about this, however, the more I slowly started to realize that Pancake’s skin is drastically different than those miraculous mollusks..


 Luckily this week he decided to shed some healthy looking skin, and I went straight to work on my FoldScope with a fresh piece!


 <img alt="IMG_2452" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16129 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16129" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6s Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1463326170","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2452" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16127/IMG_2452.jpg" width="225"/>


 I set up my new popsicle stick FoldScope rig, fired up the flashlight


 <img alt="IMG_2446" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16065 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16065" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6s Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1463325891","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2446" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16127/IMG_2446.jpg" width="225"/>


 And just like that I was getting some great shots!


 <img alt="IMG_2433" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16133 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16133" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6s Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1463322895","copyright":"","focal_length":"2.65","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.0022883295194508","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2433" data-recalc-dims="1" height="225" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16127/IMG_2433.jpg" width="300"/>


 I found that by keeping the sample still and rotating the flashlight so that the direction and distance of the light source shifted, the skin would refract a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors! Right away I could tell I was onto something with my color-changing question. If pigment-based chromatophores were causing the color change, why would the skin left behind be so dang colorful? There had to be more to it…

<div class="wp-video" style="width: 1000px;">
 
 <video alt="IMG_2433" class="wp-video-shortcode gcloudimg" controls="controls" height="563" id="video-16127-1" preload="metadata" width="1000">
 <source alt="IMG_2435.m4v" class="gcloudimg" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16127/IMG_2435.m4v" type="video/mp4"/>
 <a alt="IMG_2435.m4v" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16127/IMG_2435.m4v">
 https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/IMG_2435.m4v
 </a>
 </video>
</div>

 In my research I found that it really
 
 was
 
 refraction rather than some sort of actual pigment! Turns out they have five main types of chromatophores: some are pigment based and occur in the deeper epidermis (Carlton 1903), and others actually contain microscopic crystals that disperse/aggregate based on the tightness of its skin (similar to the octopus, but using crystals instead of pigment!). These guanine nanocrystals are covered by a thick superficial layer of dermal iridophores, resulting in two interactive layers of refractive material (Teyssier et al, 2015)!


 Holy Chameleon! How awesome! Turns out Pancake is actively utilizing the physical phenomenon of refraction to dictate his color displays, ultimately describing his emotions to me! Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve….


 <img alt="IMG_2459" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16132 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16132" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6s Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1463326416","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.066666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_2459" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16127/IMG_2459.jpg" width="225"/>


 
 References
 


 Carlton F.C. 1903. The color changes in the skin of the so-called Florida Chameleon,
 
 Anolis carolinensis
 
 . Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 39(10):259 – 276.


 Teyssier J., S.V. Saenko, D. Van Der Marel, M.C. Milnikovich. 2015. Photonic crystals cause active colour change in chameleons. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7368.

Clifton Herrmann

Earth

Posts

Getting Started with my Foldscope

Don’t throw away old samples..

Foldscope Mod: Standing on the shoulders of giants

My housemate’s Pancake just shed…

Locations

Statistics

Type of Sample

Foldscope Lens Magnification