Max Coyle

<p>
 I have been playing with my foldscope for just a few days but have already found so much that is fascinating. As a molecular biology researcher and student, it has been refreshing to shift my attention from designing the perfect, incisive experiment to simply being curious about the miniscule details within the things all around me.
</p>
<p>
 Representing this shift towards the experiential, it made sense to make my first Foldscope post about ferns: wondrous green comforting things that I know almost nothing about scientifically but which have always been my favorite group of plants.
</p>
<p>
 I first loved ferns growing up in the Pacific Northwest, and upon a brief return to Seattle (to meet up with my family en route to South Africa), I took the opportunity to collect samples from two ferns growing outside of the house I grew up in.
</p>
<p>
 On the long transcontinental flight to South Africa, I investigated these ferns under the Foldscope. That I was able to collect interesting information using the Foldscope, while cramped in a small airplane seat, fumbling around on a tiny tray table, the earth wobbling below me, is a testament to the versatility and ease of the instrument.
</p>
<p>
 The two ferns I explored are shown below, after mounting on the Foldscope paper slide. I have only used these paper slides so far, and have yet to compare to results with glass. I did use FOV locking and focus locking, with the LED light source and my iPhone camera.
</p>
<p>
 <a alt="IMG_1110.tif" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16721/IMG_1110.tif" rel="attachment wp-att-16722">
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  <img alt="IMG_1110" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16729 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16729" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1464890308","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1110" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16721/IMG_1110.jpg" width="225"/>
 </a>
</p>
<p>
 Fern A has that beautiful, classic taper so characteristic of ferns, and wider spacing between the leaves branching from the main stalk, compared to Fern B, which is lusher and more rounded.
</p>
<p>
 I have spent the last few years in lab studying the self-organization of microvasculature, and so naturally I was drawn to the vasculature of these ferns.
</p>
<p>
 Fern B had a lovely, quite regular branching pattern to its vasculature. Each branch emerged from the pattern at the same angle every time, as shown in the pictures and video below.
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_1104" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16728 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16728" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1464889531","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.0083333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1104" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16721/IMG_1104.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_1105" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16727 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16727" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1464889542","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1105" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16721/IMG_1105.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
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   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_1101.mp4
  </a>
 </video>
</div>
<p>
 In contrast, the vasculature of Fern A branched more spasmodically and frequently, with many sharper turns involved.
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_1091" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16726 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16726" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1464889087","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0072463768115942","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1091" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16721/IMG_1091.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_1094" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16725 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16725" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1464889166","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0050761421319797","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1094" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16721/IMG_1094.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
<p>
 The difference was reminiscent of the difference between normal vasculature and tumor vasculature in animals, the latter more tortuous and ad hoc.
</p>
<p>
 I know little about plant development and don’t have sophisticated theories about why these two ferns have different vasculature branching patterns. But I am curious to investigate more in the field and perhaps read up on vasculature in plants.
</p>
<p>
 (I also brought some Foldscopes with me to South Africa and had the chance to put on a workshop for high school students, so consider this a teaser for my next post… )
</p>

A Tale of Two Ferns

<p>
 This past Saturday, I had the joy of bringing some Foldscopes to the Masiphumelele branch of Ikamva Youth near Cape Town, South Africa. Ikamva Youth is a non-profit dedicated to providing educational resources for high school students: they provide tutoring for their classes, career and college counseling, health/nutritional classes, and computer literacy training. They support around 1900 students across 14 branches in townships around South Africa. The non-profit began in 2003 and the Masi branch opened in 2010.
</p>
<p>
 Seven students volunteered to do a hands-on Foldscope workshop: Zintathu, Aviwe, Nomvuyiso, Andiswa, Amanda, Linamandla, and Okuhle (all pictured below). They were enthusiastic, fun and attentive participants. We talked about why microscopes are useful, tried mounting and observing new samples on a pre-assembled Foldscope, and finally each student assembled her own Foldscope and started exploring independently.
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_1177" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16833 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16833" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1465037481","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1177" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16830/IMG_1177.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_1176" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16832 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16832" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1465037475","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1176" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16830/IMG_1176.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
<p>
 In terms of science education, many of these students have a good knowledge of textbook learning, but little hands-on experience with doing science, as the cost of materials has been prohibitive. They knew plenty about cellular theory, but were exhilarated to see plant cells under the Foldscope, the abstract made empirical for the first time. Here are Aviwe (left) and Amanda (right) holding up their Foldscopes to the sun, exploring leaves and flower petals in minute detail.
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_1174" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16834 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16834" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1465036344","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0045454545454545","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1174" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16830/IMG_1174.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
<p>
 As the seven students were working with their Foldscopes, other intrigued students stopped by. I’m excited to see the investigations that this this group will pursue with their scopes. Below are a handful of pictures snapped by the students on their first go-around.
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_1179" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16835 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16835" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1465038076","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"800","shutter_speed":"0.058823529411765","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1179" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16830/IMG_1179.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_1181" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16836 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16836" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1465038347","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0026385224274406","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1181" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16830/IMG_1181.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_1190" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-16837 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16837" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1465038497","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.05","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1190" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16830/IMG_1190.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>


Foldscope Workshop in Masiphumelele

<p>
 It’s beautiful to go to Stow Lake, in San Francisco’s golden gate park, in the early morning. The mist is often thick and troupes of ducks idle at the waters edge. This morning I went to Stow lake to collect samples for my foldscope. I am a new foldscope user and hadn’t yet successfully mounted a living sample from pond water, so this was my goal.
</p>
<p>
 It took me a little bit of fiddling to get a mounting technique I was happy with. In summary, I
</p>
<ol>
 <li>
  Put two strips of double sided tape on a glass slide parallel to one another
 </li>
 <li>
  Placed two drops of pond water between the landing strips of tape (making sure to put in drops with some gunk to help me focus)
 </li>
 <li>
  Placed an 18×18 coverslip on top
 </li>
 <li>
  Secured two sides of the coverslip down with scotch tape (this was key for me as I first used nail polish but by the time the nail polish had dried I wasn’t seeing anything living. If I tried to view before the nail polish dried it was a big mess and the coverslip often dislodged)
 </li>
</ol>
<p>
 Once I got my technique down, the results were amazing! I quickly became addicted to mounting drop after drop looking for new creatures. I will go more into depth on classification and behavior later but below are my first findings.
</p>
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<p>
 I will also try to find stentor in this lake also, as I know that UCSF prof Wallace Marshall collects these here for his research!
</p>


Creatures of Stow Lake

<p>
 This week I spent some time imaging
 <em>
  Vorticella
 </em>
 ciliates, lazy little couch potatoes (or algae potatoes?) that anchor themselves to something solid and wait for their prey to come swimming by. Because of their stationary lifestyle, they are easy to find in water samples, and gave me a good chance to practice my Foldscoping technique, specifically to finely adjust focus and illumination to get the best images.
</p>
<p>
 By placing an architect lamp on the floor with the bulb facing up, and resting my foldscope-coupled phone on a desk above, I was able to get bright, even illumination and a stable field of view (shouts to @laks and @jim for recommending this type of setup)
</p>
<p>
 .
 <img alt="IMG_1560" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-17547 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="17547" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1469024850","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.12","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_1560" data-recalc-dims="1" height="225" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_17546/IMG_1560.jpg" width="300"/>
</p>
<p>
 For the above image, I used the wedge focus technique to get the sample as focused as possible (https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16093) and used pseudo-phase illumination to generate good contrast. At this point, I wonder if the main limitation to my imaging set up is the quality of my phone camera, which is somewhat old.
</p>
<p>
 More fun, though, is to see the above Vorticella in action:
</p>
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<p>
 Around 15 seconds into the above video, the Vorticella opens its mouth parts and starts sweeping water in with its cilia. You can see a bacteria caught in the ensuing vortex…at one point the bacteria gets caught in the Vorticella’s den, and the ciliate’s myoneme contracts quickly and it appears to gulp down the bacteria.
</p>
<p>
 To get better imaging of the bacteria, I tried switching to a dark field mode in the following video, with a different Vorticella specimen. When I switch into dark field about halfway through, you can appreciate how abundant the bacteria in the water are:
</p>
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<p>
 There is also another  ciliate in the above video, which my amateur eyes cannot taxonomize.
</p>
<p>
 Things got really interesting when a third ciliate joined the picture, and this time got caught up in Vorticella’s vertiginous vortex. From what I’ve heard Vorticella does eat other ciliates, but it seems to keep missing this one. What ensues is rich physical comedy. Eventually the ciliate seems to bop Vorticella on the head and swim away unscathed. Ultimately, I was left wondering: who was the aggressor in this interaction? Or is it just coincidental bumblings?
</p>
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<p>
 Would love to hear more if you know about Vorticella’s feeding habits, specifically how large of prey it will typically go after? How does it decide when it open its mouth – can it even detect what other organisms are available for munching on?
</p>
<p>
</p>


Hungry hungry Vorticella

<p>
 I have always found a lot of humour in observing the behavior of  macroscopic animals. I can’t say why certain things are funny – the way a cat yawns, or a penguin waddles – but I like the simplicity and concreteness of this humor, the lack of punchline.
</p>
<p>
 One unexpected delight of observing the Microcosmos under Foldscope is that I find the same humor in the behaviors of single-celled organisms. The physical comedy of Vorticella continually bumping into another ciliate in one of my previous posts is a good example: https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17546
</p>
<p>
 Here, I will show the behavior of a ciliate (I think?)  that I discovered recently. If you know what this is, please let me know in the comments!
</p>
<p>
 This creature is rather large compared to other ciliates I have seen, and is shaped like a kidney-bean (or maybe just a kidney…) It moves in a couple of ways: a rotation around a fixed point, and a predatory-like circling. It seems to be quite a hungry bean, as it’s transparent insides appear full of algae or other food.
</p>
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<p>
 I was lucky to observe multiple of these ciliates interact, exchanging a quick greeting, reminding me of Manu’s post about the “handshakes” of single-celled organisms: https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17382
</p>
<p>
 Also, at the end of the clip you will see me squishing the slide, causing the ciliates to expel (or other verb) their contents. Rather than explode, all the intracellular stuff seemed to come out of the same orifice, making me wonder if this is indeed a ciliate, or perhaps a small metazoa with a rudimentary digestive tract? It is unclear if the creatures keep living when I release the pressure on the slide. One appears to wriggle, but I didn’t image long enough to be certain.
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<p>
 All for now…hope everyone has a nice weekend!
</p>
<p>
 Max
</p>


Bean-Shaped Ciliates &#8211; help ID?

Foldscope Featured on &#8220;Wag of the Tale&#8221;

<p>
 My favorite Foldscope experiment is simple: collect pond or lake water and find out what is inside. It is perhaps THE classic microscopy experiment since the days of Leeuwenhoek. Discovering the strange life inside of a single drop of water is always satisfying.
</p>
<p>
 I recently visited Lake Anza in Berkeley’s Tilden Park to collect water and characterize the micro-biodiversity of the place. A drop of lake water under the Foldscope allows you to see much – algae, ciliates, strange types of debris..but you also tend to see the same, most common forms over and over again.
</p>
<p>
 To find a wider diversity of life, I decided to try concentrating my samples. I used a nylon mesh with a 5 micron pore size, folded in into a funnel, and passed maybe 100 mL of lake water through. The 5 micron filter size should allow bacteria to pass through, but should trap many larger single-celled eukaryotes and small metazoa. When the sample had almost all the way passed through the filter, so there was only a few drops remaining in the cone, I collected one of these drops for the Foldscope.
</p>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-18676" class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_18676" style="width: 225px">
 <img alt="nylon-funnel" class="wp-image-18676 size-medium gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="18676" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1473255042","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0083333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="nylon-funnel" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_18674/nylon-funnel.jpg" width="225"/>
 <figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-18676">
  Nylon mesh (5 micron pore size) folded into funnel
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>
 Within my concentrated sample, I saw an abundance of interesting life forms…
</p>
<p>
 1)First was this cell with rapidly beating cilia all around it:
</p>
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<p>
 2) Next, I found a pair of interesting creatures interacting with one another: an orange-ish diatom and a green algae. I was fascinated observing them and condensed all my footage down into the following clips, which show the pair moving together, as well as each species moving individually. They are not irreversibly anchored, as the point of attachment varies, and as you will see towards the end, they eventually separate temporarily, re-connect, and then separate entirely. I do not know if this interaction is rare or not, and am unsure of its purpose.
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<p>
 3) I saw this cluster of algae, with two different shades of green, a darker one and a paler one. Is it two different species or variety within the same species?
</p>
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<p>
 4) Finally, I was fascinated by this rapidly flailing creature. At first I thought it was the same ciliate as 1), but then realized that the motions were not 360 degrees around, but were localized to one side. Also, the appendages appear thicker than cilia, making me wonder if this was some kind of larval form.
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<p>
 As always, your thoughts, observations, and identifications are welcomed!
</p>
<p>
 Until next time,
</p>
<p>
 Max
</p>


The Power of Concentration

<p>
 Microscopy transports us to almost another world entirely – in this “alternate” reality, we find so much that is new. But like traveling to any place, the experience can be both thrilling and overwhelming. No matter how many guide books you read or phrase books you keep in your back pocket, there are no hard and fast rules for exploring a new place – you simply have to go out and do it, letting your own curiosity and instincts lead the way.
</p>
<p>
 Using the Foldscope, and discovering the wonders of the microscopic world, is similar. There are no rules, and no one curriculum when it comes to introducing the Foldscope to students. However, there are skills that are useful for those travelling in the microscopic world. These skills can’t be imparted just through reading, but need to be earned through practice. In service of this, I have crafted a small set of “Foldscope Challenges,” designed as a training ground for Microcosmos explorers. Please feel free to borrow or adapt these for your own students…
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
 Dear Microcosmos Explorer,
</p>
<p>
 The following challenges are provided for you to build skills with using the Foldscope. Like all microscopes, Foldscope requires practice to get the best possible results. The challenges increase in difficulty and are all accomplishable, but you may not nail them on your first try – I definitely did not! Set aside at least a few hours for each challenge.
</p>
<p>
 These will give you a sense of some of the beautiful and interesting things you can see with the Foldscope. They are not step-by-step guides because they are intended to get you thinking and tinkering.
</p>
<p>
 However, you have resources if you get stuck! In real life science, there is no “solution key,” but by going to
 <a alt="www.microcosmos.foldscope.com" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_19275/www.microcosmos.foldscope.com">
  http://www.microcosmos.foldscope.com
 </a>
 , you can find posts from global Foldscope users on a wide variety of topics. Try searching for keywords to find posts that can help you with a given challenge (e.g. “cheek cells”).
</p>
<p>
 Within these posts you can find precious tips – use the comments section to find more info and to ask a question yourself. The Foldscope community is very friendly and open to everyone, especially those new to science and microscopy! The more you reach out, the more your skills will evolve, and more and more wonders of the microscopic world will be shown to you.
</p>
<p>
 Challenge #1: View A Flower Petal
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="flower2" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-19279 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="19279" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="flower2" data-recalc-dims="1" height="224" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_19275/flower2.png" width="300"/>
 <img alt="flower1" class="alignnone wp-image-19278 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="19278" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="flower1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="223" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_19275/flower1.png" width="223"/>
</p>
<p>
 Flowers are beautiful when unmagnified, but the Foldscope puts their beauty on display at the microscopic scale, showing the individual cells that make up a petal.
</p>
<p>
 <em>
  To think about/tinker with…
 </em>
</p>
<ul>
 <li>
  Foldscope can be used with a number of light sources, including the sun, a lamp, and the provided LED. Generally, the best images come from
  <strong>
   bright
  </strong>
  and
  <strong>
   even
  </strong>
  Try all the light sources you have available and see what works best for you. If using a lamp, try changing the angle between the lamp and the Foldscope to get different types of images.
 </li>
 <li>
  Microscopy requires light to pass through the sample you are looking at, so the lens can focus that light into your eye. Samples that are too thick or opaque will not work well with most microscopes, including Foldscope. In addition to your flower petal, try leaves with different thicknesses…what works and what does not?
 </li>
</ul>
<p>
 Challenge #2: View Your Own Cells
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="cheek2" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-19277 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="19277" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="cheek2" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_19275/cheek2.png" width="199"/>
 <img alt="cheek1" class="alignnone wp-image-19276 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="19276" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="cheek1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="299" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_19275/cheek1.png" width="399"/>
</p>
<p>
 It’s amazing to think that the human body, with all its complexity, is a collection of trillions of tiny cells. Each cell performs a special function to keep you alive. Try to view your own cheek cells (from the inside of your cheek) by collecting them with a Q-tip or toothpick.
</p>
<p>
 <em>
  To think about/tinker with…
 </em>
</p>
<ul>
 <li>
  Microscope images can be fuzzy or sharp depending on whether they are in focus. Focusing requires you to change the distance between the lens and the sample until you get a sharp image. Since cheek cells are quite thin, they will be hard to see without the right focus. For one strategy on “focus-locking,” read the following post:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16093">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16093
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Many interesting samples in microscopy are colorless. To see them more vividly, different stains can be used. A commonly used stain with cheek cells is methylene blue, but it is not essential to see the cells.
 </li>
</ul>
<p>
 Challenge #3: View A Tiny Pond Creature
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="pond1" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-19280 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="19280" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="pond1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_19275/pond1.png" width="225"/>
 <img alt="pond2" class="alignnone wp-image-19281 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="19281" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="pond2" data-recalc-dims="1" height="299" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_19275/pond2.png" width="399"/>
</p>
<p>
 Perhaps the most fun use of the Foldscope is to observe the strange lives of tiny creatures that you never even knew existed. Pond water is often teeming with microscopic life, including ciliates, flagellates, amoebae, and algae. Collect water from a pond or puddle and find a living, moving creature inside.
</p>
<p>
 <em>
  To think about/tinker with…
 </em>
</p>
<ul>
 <li>
  A “wet mount” – a liquid sample – is a common technique in microscopy, but may take a few tries to perfect. You will want to sandwich your liquid drop between stickers, tape, or glass, without crushing any creatures in the drop.
 </li>
 <li>
  Sometimes microscopic creatures are sparse. Think about how you might increase the number of creatures per drop, either by a) concentrating the specimens, or b) feeding them to encourage growth.
 </li>
</ul>


Foldscope Challenges &#8211; Building Skills and Encouraging Exploration

<p>
 Hello Foldscope community,
</p>
<p>
 Microcosmos continually amazes me. In fact, it amazes me in at least three ways:
</p>
<ol>
 <li>
  the biology (and other science) that users discover and capture is beautiful and fascinating
 </li>
 <li>
  the technological innovations and hacks that users invent are ingenious
 </li>
 <li>
  the variety of global locations from which posts are made is inspiring and eye-opening
 </li>
</ol>
<p>
 To celebrate these three facets of Microcosmos, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite posts within each of these categories. Whether you are new to the Foldscope community or have been here from the beginning, take a look and discover/reminisce over old posts. This is not a “best of” list, simply just a collection of things I have found helpful and inspiring. Add your own suggestions in the comments!
</p>
<p>
 <strong>
  <u>
   Incredible Biology
  </u>
 </strong>
</p>
<ul>
 <li>
  A complete Drosophila (fruit fly) life cycle:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=10036">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=10036
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  The color of butterfly wing scales:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8965">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8965
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Beautiful diatoms:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16640">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16640
  </a>
  and https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=3414
 </li>
 <li>
  Individual bacteria under the Foldscope:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=18454">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=18454
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Exploding amoebas:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17130">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17130
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Polychaete worms:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16408">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16408
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Beating Daphnia heart:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=12198">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=12198
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Mealworms eating plastic:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=15161">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=15161
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Diversity of life in a drop of water:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16717">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16717
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Sperm fertilizing a sand dollar egg:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16483">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16483
  </a>
  and sperm fertilizing a stickleback fish egg: https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=7841
 </li>
 <li>
  A brine shrimp’s first swim:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=9618">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=9618
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Stentor, the king of ciliates:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=14231">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=14231
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Spider development:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=7792">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=7792
  </a>
  and
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=11113">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=11113
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Mosquito larvae breathing underwater:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=10074">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=10074
  </a>
 </li>
</ul>
<p>
 <strong>
  <u>
   Technique
  </u>
 </strong>
</p>
<ul>
 <li>
  Focus-Locking and Using a Table Lamp for Darkfield and Pseudo-Phase-Contrast Illumination:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16093">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16093
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Foldscope projection in camera lucida mode:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17097">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17097
  </a>
  and
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16684">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16684
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Building micro-aquariums:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16915">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16915
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Tips for wet mounts:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=11304">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=11304
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Culturing ciliates:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=12672">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=12672
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Finding tardigrades:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17901">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17901
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Another darkfield technique:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=7042">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=7042
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  How to build a plankton net:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17431">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17431
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Using a flower petal to image itself (diffuser use):
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=9289">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=9289
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  DSLR camera hack: https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=13564
 </li>
</ul>
<p>
 <strong>
  <u>
   Global Reach
  </u>
 </strong>
</p>
<ul>
 <li>
  Project SHINE in Tanzania:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8210">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8210
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Detailed Account of Workshop in the Yucatan:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8219">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8219
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Foldscope with the Argentina Minister of Education:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=18547">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=18547
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  August 2016 India workshops by super-user Laks Iyer:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=18427">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=18427
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Foldscope at universities in Peru:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17649">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17649
  </a>
  and https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17152
 </li>
 <li>
  First Foldscope club in the Philippines:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17528">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=17528
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Workshop in South Africa township:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16830">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=16830
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Looking for mosquito larvae to fight Zika in Honduras:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=15416">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=15416
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Foldscopes at schools in Nicaragua:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=14738">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=14738
  </a>
  and https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=14704
 </li>
 <li>
  Foldscope community in Afghanistan: https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=14671
 </li>
 <li>
  Projection Foldscope to study sand in Brazil:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=14262">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=14262
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Foldscopes with high-school and university students in Madagascar:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=13416">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=13416
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Foldscopes in Kangemi slums in Nairobi:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=13156">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=13156
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Foldscope distribution in Uganda:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=13086">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=13086
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Flower petals in the Dominican Republic:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=11444">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=11444
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Chilean Foldscope Project:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=10398">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=10398
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Workshop in South Korea:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8337">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8337
  </a>
 </li>
 <li>
  Explorations in Indonesia:
  <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8259">
   https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8259
  </a>
 </li>
</ul>


Snapshots of the Microcosmos!

<p>
 I am up in Grass Valley, CA visiting an aunt and uncle that live on 7 acres here. On their property is a beautiful fish pond, and the day I arrived I was told that the fish were spawning. I sampled the water from the shallows where they are spawning, and believe I found an egg next to the piece of spirogyra algae – I am not entirely sure of it however…can anyone offer more expertise?
</p>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-24015" class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_24015" style="width: 225px">
 <img alt="IMG_3984" class="wp-image-24015 size-medium gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="24015" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1492793012","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.0068965517241379","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_3984" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_24014/IMG_3984.jpg" width="225"/>
 <figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-24015">
  fish pond
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-24016" class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_24016" style="width: 300px">
 <img alt="IMG_3985" class="wp-image-24016 size-medium gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="24016" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1492793026","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.0037174721189591","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_3985" data-recalc-dims="1" height="225" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_24014/IMG_3985.jpg" width="300"/>
 <figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-24016">
  spawning shallows
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_3955" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-24021 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="24021" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1492712419","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"40","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_3955" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_24014/IMG_3955.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_3961" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-24019 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="24019" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1492712558","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_3961" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_24014/IMG_3961.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
<p>
 also I was happy to find a spider in this bush and get some footage of its beating heart to show my aunt and uncle…you can hear some good reactions in the audio commentary 🙂
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_3986" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-24017 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="24017" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1492793039","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.0079365079365079","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_3986" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_24014/IMG_3986.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_3943" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-24020 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="24020" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1492710998","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_3943" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_24014/IMG_3943.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper">
 <div class="embed-vimeo" style="text-align: center;">
  <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="563" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/214253567" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="1000">
  </iframe>
 </div>
</div>
<p>
 That’s all for today!
</p>
<p>
 Max
</p>


A Spider Heart and a Fish Egg(?)

<p>
 Found this little creature in Lake Anza in Tilden Park…trapped in a PVC well…imaging done with new focus-locking prototype of Foldscope, and specimen collected with various tools from the forthcoming Foldscope Deluxe Individual Kit (
 <a alt="order" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_25935/order">
  www.foldscope.com/order
 </a>
 )…more details and methods to come…
</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper">
 <div class="embed-vimeo" style="text-align: center;">
  <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="563" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/221200859" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="1000">
  </iframe>
 </div>
</div>


What&#8217;s Going on in Berkeley?

<p>
 Hello Foldscope community! I always find fascinating discoveries through the Foldscope, and it seems like it is something new every time. However, I wanted to put a new challenge to myself and bore down further into a single research question, to push the limits of how far I can go with Foldscope and other DIY/frugal science methods.
</p>
<p>
 There will be two other components to this project:
</p>
<ol>
 <li>
  Local focus: I am beginning with a diseased leaf I found in Tilden Park in Berkeley, CA, just a mile or two from my apartment near the university. I’m interested in taking on a project close to my community, but literally outside the bubble of the university.
 </li>
 <li>
  Edited video format, to consolidate photos, videos, and commentary into a streamlined, digestible, somewhat fun and whimsical unit.
 </li>
</ol>
<p>
 Enjoy the first installment here:
</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper">
 <div class="embed-vimeo" style="text-align: center;">
  <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="563" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/222427766" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="1000">
  </iframe>
 </div>
</div>
<p>
 -Max
</p>


Hoja-ma-care: A Diagnosis of a Sick Leaf, Part 1

Foldscope at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers!

<p>
 Ferns are one of my favorite plants. In fact, my very first Microcosmos post concerned the very same. At our Foldscope workshop at SF Conservatory of Flowers this past Saturday (original post
 <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=26498">
  here
 </a>
 ), we took a closer look at those spots you see on the underside of ferns, which are sori, the spore-producing components of the plant.
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_6405" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26511 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="26511" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1501335126","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"40","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_6405" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_26510/IMG_6405.jpg" width="225"/>
 <img alt="IMG_6406" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-26512 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="26512" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1501335134","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"40","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_6406" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_26510/IMG_6406.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
<p>
 Here is Drew from the Conservatory breaking it down for us live:
</p>
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  <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="563" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/227825400" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="1000">
  </iframe>
 </div>
</div>
<p>
 It was a pleasure to be in his company all day and learn so much about the natural world in all its microscopic details 🙂
</p>
<p>
 Until next time!
</p>


The Spots on Ferns &#8211; SF Conservatory of Flowers, continued&#8230;.

<p>
 This past weekend, we (Erika and myself) escaped grad student work at Berkeley to go camping in the Los Padres National Forest in the hills east of Big Sur. We stayed in the Arroyo Seco area, which you reach by driving south of Monterey through wine country, and then cutting west into the forest.
</p>
<p>
 On Saturday, we sampled at the Arroyo Seco creek and found some astonishing life forms, as always. Here is an image of our sampling location:
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_7208" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-29035 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="29035" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1512228543","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"32","shutter_speed":"0.0058139534883721","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="IMG_7208" data-recalc-dims="1" height="225" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_29034/IMG_7208.jpg" width="300"/>
</p>
<p>
 We used some of the new tools in the Foldscope deluxe kit, especially the PVC depression slides for trapping swimming aquatic organisms. Here is a “macro” picture of such an organism in the PVC cut-out before adding the coverslip on top:
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_7214" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-29036 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="29036" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1512228960","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_7214" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_29034/IMG_7214.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
<p>
 Using the zoom on my phone you can make out very rough detail of the bugger inside the drop:
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="IMG_7215" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-29037 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="29037" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.2","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 6","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1512228964","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.15","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="IMG_7215" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_29034/IMG_7215.jpg" width="225"/>
</p>
<p>
 I then sealed the PVC coverslip over the top to trap him inside. Unfortunately, the PVC cut-out is only 0.15 millimeters thick, and the organism must have been thicker than that, as it was squished and killed when the coverslip was put on. You can still make out pretty good anatomical, even if the physiology is a bit, well, dead. There are three hairy structures coming out of the tail end of the creature. At first I thought this might be a mosquito larvae, but online searching doesn’t seem to corroborate this. As always, any ideas are much appreciated.
</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper">
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 </div>
</div>
<p>
 Here is another video with more detail:
</p>
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 </div>
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<p>
 But perhaps even more interestingly than the squished bugger above, I found a pair of very alive creatures that I also am unable to identify. Their overall morphology appeared the same, but one was totally static and appeared to be carrying two green eggs, while the slightly smaller one was quite motile and egg-less.
</p>
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 </div>
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<p>
</p>
<p>
 Any help identifying these creatures would be tremendously appreciated! If it helps, here is another short clip of the motile one flexing its tail/leg!
</p>
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 </div>
</div>
<p>
 As always, thanks for watching and exploring with me!
</p>


Water Sampling at Arroyo Seco, Los Padres National Forest

<p>
 Last weekend, I went back to see family in the Pacific Northwest, and celebrated my older sister’s birthday and upcoming wedding on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound.
</p>
<p>
 <img alt="Map-pugetsound" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-31483 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="31483" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Map-pugetsound" data-recalc-dims="1" height="300" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_31482/Map-pugetsound.png" width="220"/>
</p>
<p>
 At low tide, I took a walk with my mom (burgeoning Foldscope enthusiast) along the beach and collected water from tide pools to examine.
</p>
<p>
 We kept seeing many worm-like creatures, and using PVC cutouts to create mini-aquariums, we were able to image their live behavior under the Foldscope.
</p>
<p>
 Most interesting to me was a segmented worm that seemed to be using some kind of foot near it’s mouth to propel itself:
</p>
<figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31484" class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_31484" style="width: 300px">
 <img alt="worm_with_toes" class="wp-image-31484 size-medium gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="31484" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="worm_with_toes" data-recalc-dims="1" height="237" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_31482/worm_with_toes.png" width="300"/>
 <figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-31484">
  worm head with antennae and leg/feeding appendage on left side
 </figcaption>
</figure>
<p>
 It is possible this is just a feeding appendage but its extension and contraction seemed to be propelling the organism forward. In the video below, I’ve summarized the results from three independently collected samples, with annotations and contemplative piano music that are hopefully more useful than distracting. Please let me know what you think and if you can identify this creature!
</p>
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<p>
 Cheers!
</p>
<p>
 Max
</p>


Max Coyle

Earth

Posts

A Tale of Two Ferns

Foldscope Workshop in Masiphumelele

Creatures of Stow Lake

Hungry hungry Vorticella

Locations

Statistics

Type of Sample

Foldscope Lens Magnification