Aaron Pomerantz

I’ve had the chance to observe some interesting organisms and structures with my Foldscope thus far and my new favorite subject is the butterfly wing. Butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera and all members have scales covering their bodies and wings (in Latin, lepis means scale and ptera means wing). With over 180,000 described species, the Lepidoptera are not only diverse in their numbers but also in their colors. Their color arises due to the nature of the scales that they produce and can be due to pigmentation as well as structural color. Whatever the origin, color results from an interaction between light and matter.


 <a alt="3-Foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/3-Foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="3 Foldscope" class="alignnone wp-image-10082 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10082" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"VS980 4G","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1444917381","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.97","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.0084033613445378","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="3 Foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="547" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/3-Foldscope.jpg" width="597"/>
 </a>


 The wings of a butterfly are covered in overlapping layers of scales which are composed of chitin. Viewed with Foldscope 140X.


 <a alt="Compilation-Wing-Scales-All.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/Compilation-Wing-Scales-All.jpg">
 <img alt="Compilation Wing Scales All" class="alignnone wp-image-10087 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10087" 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":"1"}' data-image-title="Compilation Wing Scales All" data-recalc-dims="1" height="997" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/Compilation-Wing-Scales-All.jpg" width="1000"/>
 </a>


 A compilation of butterflies I’ve sampled with the Foldscope in the Neotropics (wings to left and Foldscope image of respective wing to the right). See if you can figure out which are caused by pigmentation and which are caused by structural color.


 <img alt="2-Red-Wing-Macro-sw-GIF" class="alignnone wp-image-10081 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10081" 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="2-Red-Wing-Macro-sw-GIF" data-recalc-dims="1" height="900" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/2-Red-Wing-Macro-sw-GIF.gif" width="900"/>


 Red wings likely due to pigment production. Pigments typically create “hot” colors from red to yellow.


 <a alt="4-Wing-for-GIF.gif" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/4-Wing-for-GIF.gif">
 <img alt="4-Wing-for-GIF" class="alignnone wp-image-10085 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10085" 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="4-Wing-for-GIF" data-recalc-dims="1" height="900" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/4-Wing-for-GIF.gif" width="900"/>
 </a>


 Structural colors from physical phenomena usually produce “cold” colors from near ultraviolet to blue-green.


 <a alt="uraniid-bfly-wing-for-GIF1.gif" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/uraniid-bfly-wing-for-GIF1.gif">
 <img alt="uraniid-bfly-wing-for-GIF" class="alignnone wp-image-10089 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10089" 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="uraniid-bfly-wing-for-GIF" data-recalc-dims="1" height="900" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/uraniid-bfly-wing-for-GIF1.gif" width="900"/>
 </a>




 Manu brought up an interesting question online the other day – can the Foldscope community produce a “library” of butterfly wing scales? That would be a very interesting community project and may provide insight and perspective by comparing scale structure morphology across a broad range of species.


 <a alt="9-WIng-Slide.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/9-WIng-Slide.jpg">
 <img alt="9 WIng Slide" class="alignnone wp-image-10090 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10090" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"5","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 70D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1446590488","copyright":"","focal_length":"100","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.25","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="9 WIng Slide" data-recalc-dims="1" height="625" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/9-WIng-Slide.jpg" width="1000"/>
 </a>


 A slide of a moth wing which can then be placed under the Foldscope.


 <img alt="9 Foldscope" class="alignnone wp-image-10091 size-full gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10091" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"2.4","credit":"","camera":"VS980 4G","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1444680944","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.97","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="9 Foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="766" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/9-Foldscope.jpg" width="750"/>


 The result – scale structure &amp; colors can be resolved quite nicely at 140X.


 <a alt="10-Wing-Slide.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/10-Wing-Slide.jpg">
 <img alt="10 Wing Slide" class="alignnone wp-image-10092 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10092" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"4.5","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 70D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1446590206","copyright":"","focal_length":"100","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.8","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="10 Wing Slide" data-recalc-dims="1" height="643" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/10-Wing-Slide.jpg" width="1000"/>
 </a>


 Wings can also be pressed to a piece of tape and the scales will remain stuck in place.


 <a alt="10-foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/10-foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="10 foldscope" class="alignnone wp-image-10093 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="10093" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"VS986","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1446647218","copyright":"","focal_length":"4.42","iso":"50","shutter_speed":"0.016949152542373","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="10 foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="937" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_10080/10-foldscope.jpg" width="1000"/>
 </a>


 Hope you enjoyed, let me know your thoughts on colors, physics &amp; butterflies!


 -Aaron

Butterfly Wings &#8211; A World of Color

Arthropod Soil Biodiversity and Foldscope-DSLR Camera Hack

In the past I have posted about some of my experiences with the Foldscope in the Amazon rainforest, and more recently about investigating structural color in butterflies in the field (see
 <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=10080">
 here
 </a>
 and
 <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=8965">
 here
 </a>
 ). I even just realized that others have made posts
 <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/?p=13829">
 contributing
 </a>
 to a butterfly scale database!


 For this particular trip to Ecuador, I was interested in species of butterflies and moths that display transparency in their wings.


 <img alt="Glasswing" class="alignnone wp-image-16563 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16563" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"9","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 70D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1444634424","copyright":"","focal_length":"100","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.00625","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="Glasswing" data-recalc-dims="1" height="667" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16562/Glasswing.jpg" width="1000"/>
 <img alt="Haetera" class="alignnone wp-image-16560 size-large" data-attachment-id="16560" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"16","credit":"","camera":"Canon EOS 70D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1461922518","copyright":"","focal_length":"100","iso":"160","shutter_speed":"0.005","title":"","orientation":"1"}' data-image-title="Haetera" data-recalc-dims="1" height="666" src="https://i2.wp.com/microcosmos.foldscope.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Haetera.jpg?resize=1000%2C666&amp;ssl=1" width="1000"/>


 At first you might say to yourself, well maybe these butterflies just lack scales within the transparent regions. However, taking a look with the Foldscope tells a different story…


 <img alt="Haetera_Compilation_Yellow" class="alignnone wp-image-16564 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16564" 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":"1"}' data-image-title="Haetera_Compilation_Yellow" data-recalc-dims="1" height="1024" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16562/Haetera_Compilation_Yellow.jpg" width="707"/>


 Notice in this Haetera butterfly species that the transparent wing is in fact covered in scales. Looking at a different region (the colorful eyespot on the wing) reveals completely different scale morphology.


 <img alt="Citherias_1_Compilation" class="alignnone wp-image-16565 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16565" 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":"1"}' data-image-title="Citherias_1_Compilation" data-recalc-dims="1" height="1024" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16562/Citherias_1_Compilation.jpg" width="751"/>


 Here is a Cithaerias butterfly, commonly known as the Blushing Phantom. The scale structures in the transparent region appear different than the Haetera.


 <img alt="Glasswing_Comp2" class="alignnone wp-image-16569 size-large gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="16569" 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":"1"}' data-image-title="Glasswing_Comp2" data-recalc-dims="1" height="574" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_16562/Glasswing_Comp2.jpg" width="1000"/>


 The above are particularly interesting, butterflies commonly known as Glasswings. The scales in the transparent regions appear a bit forked and the colorful scales (likely containing pigments) have a completely different morphology.


 By looking at just a handful of transparent butterflies, already we can begin to hypothesize that nanostructure development that produces wing transparency could have evolved multiple times and perhaps butterflies can achieve transparency in completely different ways.


 What are your thoughts? The physics behind nanostructures that allow for transparency is truly intriguing and I hope to delve into this further.

Butterfly Wing Structure &#8211; Transparency Edition

Foldscope Workshop in the Peruvian Amazon

Flowering plants belong to a group called
 <a alt="20646" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2266/20646">
 angiosperms
 </a>
 and the first flowering plant existed somewhere around 160 million years ago. Since then, flowering plants have become extremely diverse, as we can see today in their range of shapes, colors, sizes, and smells.


 Many flowers derive their colors from the production of pigments called
 <a alt="anthocyanins.html" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2266/anthocyanins.html">
 anthocyanins
 </a>
 (red, pink, purple, and blue in particular).


 <a alt="Geranium-foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2266/Geranium-foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="Geranium foldscope" class="aligncenter wp-image-2267 size-medium gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="2267" 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="Geranium foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2266/Geranium-foldscope.jpg"/>
 </a>


 The
 <a href="http://www.foldscope.com/">
 Foldscope
 </a>
 was used to view a slide of a
 
 Geranium
 
 flower petal at different magnifications and a cell phone recorded the images. This
 
 Geranium
 
 flower gets its purple pigment from anthocyanin, which can  be seen occupying most of the volume of the cells (140 X and 480 X on the right).


 So why do plants have color? In nutshell, it’s for sex. Plants can’t
 
 go
 
 anywhere, so they need help to disperse their genetic material and pass on their traits to the next generation. Some plants utilize the wind or other indirect methods for transfer, while other plants recruit animals to aid in the reproductive process. Bright colors in flowers can act to attract birds, bees, and other insects which visit multiple flowers and spread pollen (containing the plant gametes, or sperm cells) along the way.


 There you go – a quick and dirty explanation of flower color and a cool little experiment with the 50-cent paper microscope!


 -Aaron




 
 You can follow me on Twitter
 <a alt="AaronPomerantz" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2266/AaronPomerantz">
 @AaronPomerantz
 </a>
 and the Foldscope researchers
 <a alt="PrakashLab" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2266/PrakashLab">
 @PrakashLab
 </a>

Why Do Flowers Have Color? A Closer Look with Foldscope

<div class="entry-content">
 
 Anyone who has spent time in a lab has likely hunched over a microscope at some point. They are standard instruments for visualizing and investigating small objects. The problem is that microscopes are relatively large and expensive, which can be a barrier to people with an interest in science or microscopy but who can’t afford this bulky piece of equipment. This can also make work outside of the lab challenging, especially if you find yourself trying to explore something tiny out in the middle of a jungle or in an under-developed country.
 
 
 This is where the “
 <a href="http://www.foldscope.com/">
 Foldscope
 </a>
 ” comes in, a device developed by the
 <a alt="Foldscope.html" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2270/Foldscope.html">
 Prakash Lab
 </a>
 at Stanford University . This
 
 origami-based optical microscope
 
 weighs in at a whopping 8.8 grams (less than two nickels), is small enough to fit in a pocket, and costs less than one dollar.
 
 
 <a href="https://i1.wp.com/www.thenextgenscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/foldscope-start.jpg">
 <img alt="foldscope start" class="aligncenter wp-image-1291 size-large imageSeven" data-recalc-dims="1" height="532" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.thenextgenscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/foldscope-start-1024x682.jpg?resize=800%2C532" width="800"/>
 </a>
 The Foldscope initially arrives as a sheet of paper with two primary fold-out parts. Just pop these out, follow the instructions (it comes with an instruction manual as well as
 <a href="https://microcosmos.foldscope.com/assembly/">
 online video
 </a>
 step-by-step instructions) and the set up is complete in less than ten minutes.
 
 
 <a href="https://i2.wp.com/www.thenextgenscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/folscope-done.jpg">
 <img alt="folscope done" class="aligncenter wp-image-1292 size-large imageSeven" data-recalc-dims="1" height="532" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.thenextgenscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/folscope-done-1024x682.jpg?resize=800%2C532" width="800"/>
 </a>
 The final product is a 70 x 20 x 2 mm
 
 ³
 
 microscope platform. The Foldscope kit also comes with a low-magnification lens, a high-magnification lens, magnetic strips (allows for connection to a cell phone), and a light module. Slides are inserted into the platform and samples are viewed through a micro-lens while you can pan and focus with your thumbs.
 
 
 This device could provide important opportunities for examining specimens in the field as well as
 <a href="http://www.foldscope.com/globalhealth/">
 screening and diagnostics
 </a>
 for disease-causing agents. For instance, the Foldscope can be used to detect:
 
 <ul>
 <li>
 
 Plasmodium falciparum
 
 (parasitic protozoan that causes
 <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/">
 malaria
 </a>
 )
 </li>
 
 
 <li>
 
 Leishmania donovani
 
 (parasitic protozoan that causes
 <a href="http://www.who.int/leishmaniasis/en/">
 leishmaniasis
 </a>
 )
 </li>
 
 
 <li>
 
 Eschleria coli
 
 (bacterium that
 
 can cause painful abdominal cramping and severe, sometimes bloody, diarrhea)
 
 </li>
 
 
 <li>
 
 Trypanosoma cruzi
 
 (parasitic protozoan that causes
 <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs340/en/">
 Chagas
 </a>
 disease)
 </li>
 
 
 <li>
 
 Human
 <a alt="sicklecellanemia20x04.html" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2270/sicklecellanemia20x04.html">
 sickle cell
 </a>
 
 
 </li>
 
 
 <li>
 
 And much more
 
 
 </li>
 
 
 </ul>
 
 By removing cost barriers, the researchers hope that the Foldscope will provide new opportunities for a broad user base in both science education and field work for science and medicine.
 
 
 <a alt="size-comparison-banana.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2270/size-comparison-banana.jpg">
 <img alt="size comparison banana" class="aligncenter wp-image-1293 size-large imageSeven" data-recalc-dims="1" height="859" src="https://i2.wp.com/www.thenextgenscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/size-comparison-banana-953x1024.jpg?resize=800%2C859" width="800"/>
 </a>
 Size comparison of a stereo microscope (top) the Foldscope (bottom left) and banana for scale (bottom right)
 
 
 <a href="https://i0.wp.com/www.thenextgenscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/foldscope-images-4.jpg">
 <img alt="foldscope images 4" class="aligncenter wp-image-1294 size-large imageSeven gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="1294" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Picasa","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="scale1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="800" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2270/scale1.jpg" width="800"/>
 </a>
 The Foldscope can also be connected to a standard smartphone for taking images or video. Here are a few images taken using the low-mag lens (140X magnification) on an Android phone: cells of a leaf (top left), sugar crystals (top right), a phytoseiid mite from my garden (bottom left), and celery stalk (bottom right). I think my preparation of the slides could be improved to produce better images, but all-in-all I’m still amazed that these were taken using a paper-based 50-cent microscope.
 
 
 Another important point that the authors bring up is that many children have never used a microscope, even in developed countries like the United States. A universal program providing a “microscope for every child” could help to foster an interest in science at an early age. They hope to make
 <a href="http://www.foldscope.com/scienceeducation/">
 microscopes approachable, accessible, and inspire children
 </a>
 to examine biodiversity on our planet as amateur microscopists and to make discoveries of their own.
 
 
 Overall, I’m pretty excited about this device. It’s cheap, it’s simple, and it works – but this invention required an amazing amount of research and engineering by the Stanford group. I’ll be bringing the Foldscope with me on my next trip to the
 <a href="http://www.perunature.com/">
 Peruvian Amazon
 </a>
 and hope to investigate some interesting small organisms while there. Stay tuned!
 
 
 -Aaron
 
 
 
 
 Citation: Cybulski JS, Clements J, Prakash M (2014) Foldscope: Origami-Based Paper Microscope. PLoS ONE 9(6): e98781. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098781
 
 
 
 
 
 You can follow Aaron on Twitter
 <a alt="AaronPomerantz" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2270/AaronPomerantz">
 @AaronPomerantz
 </a>
 and the Stanford researchers
 <a alt="PrakashLab" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_2270/PrakashLab">
 @PrakashLab
 </a>
 
 
 
 [This post originally appeared on
 <a href="http://blog.perunature.com/2015/02/changing-world-with-50-cent-paper.html">
 Rainforest Expeditions
 </a>
 ]
 
</div>

Changing the World with a 50-Cent Paper Microscope

Butterfly scales through the lens of a Foldscope

For the past few months, I’ve been conducting research in the
 <a href="http://blog.perunature.com/2015/04/we-found-and-yelled-at-crazy-tentacled.html">
 Peruvian Amazon
 </a>
 . But when I’m not trekking through the jungle, I’m based in Los Angeles, one of the largest cities in the U.S. So for this post I thought I’d compare and contrast a few things I’ve investigated with my Foldscope, but the moral of the story is this: the microcosmos is interesting no matter where you are!




 
 In the City:
 


 <a alt="milkweed-compilation2.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/milkweed-compilation2.jpg">
 <img alt="milkweed compilation2" class="aligncenter wp-image-7725 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="7725" 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="milkweed compilation2" data-recalc-dims="1" height="519" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/milkweed-compilation2.jpg" width="519"/>
 </a>


 Milkweed plant in Los Angeles (left) and portions of the plant viewed under the Foldscope at 140x (right). 1) The corona, light orange, which is composed of 5 hoods &amp; horns. 2) The petal, dark orange. 3) Filament-like hairs of the seed, known as the coma. 4) Another view of the white, silky hairs and portion of the seed.


 <a alt="mealybug-ants-compilation2.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/mealybug-ants-compilation2.jpg">
 <img alt="mealybug ants compilation2" class="aligncenter wp-image-7724 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="7724" 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="mealybug ants compilation2" data-recalc-dims="1" height="543" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/mealybug-ants-compilation2.jpg" width="543"/>
 </a>


 I stumbled on a
 
 Calliandra
 
 plant that had a small mealybug infestation. Notice the ants as well, which are surrounding and tending the mealybug insects. Mealybugs spend most of their lives sucking the juices from plants and excrete high volumes of excess fluids, which contain sugars. Ants love this fluid and will viciously protect the mealybugs from predators and parasites to keep the sugary substance flowing. Here I used the Foldscope to view the ant head (top left) the ant antenna (top right) as well as the abdomen of the mealybug (bottom left), the source of sugary excrement, and the mouth parts of the mealybug (bottom right) which are used to pierce and draw fluids from the plant.


 <a alt="anthead_GIF_small.gif" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/anthead_GIF_small.gif">
 <img alt="anthead_GIF_small" class="aligncenter wp-image-7723 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="7723" 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="anthead_GIF_small" data-recalc-dims="1" height="260" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/anthead_GIF_small.gif" width="463"/>
 </a>
 Video of the ant head, mandibles moving




 <a alt="Salvia-dragon-flower-compilation2.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/Salvia-dragon-flower-compilation2.jpg">
 <img alt="Salvia dragon flower compilation2" class="aligncenter wp-image-7729 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="7729" 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="Salvia dragon flower compilation2" data-recalc-dims="1" height="615" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/Salvia-dragon-flower-compilation2.jpg" width="615"/>
 </a>


 Flowers are always interesting to look at under the Foldscope. Here we see these pink Salvia flowers and a closer look at the anther with pollen (top) the cells of the corolla tube (bottom left) and a region of the filament with pollen (bottom right).




 
 In the Jungle:
 


 <a alt="pseudoscorpions1.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/pseudoscorpions1.jpg">
 <img alt="pseudoscorpions1" class="aligncenter wp-image-7730 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="7730" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1436799403","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="pseudoscorpions1" data-recalc-dims="1" height="561" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/pseudoscorpions1.jpg" width="561"/>
 </a>


 <a alt="Pseudoscorpion-Morphology-Foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/Pseudoscorpion-Morphology-Foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="Pseudoscorpion Morphology Foldscope" class="aligncenter wp-image-7727 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="7727" 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="Pseudoscorpion Morphology Foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="527" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/Pseudoscorpion-Morphology-Foldscope.jpg" width="527"/>
 </a>


 On my last expedition to Tambopata, Peru, I found a little colony of pseudoscorpions. These arachnids are distantly related to true scorpions and spiders and don’t have any stingers, instead they capture even smaller prey with their pincers (aka palpal chelae). I took images of one of these unique little critters with my Canon 100mm lens and then made a slide mount to view some of its morphological features under the Foldscope. I think it’s pretty amazing that all of these pictures were taken out in the field!


 <a alt="Rainforest-Moss-Foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/Rainforest-Moss-Foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="Rainforest Moss Foldscope" class="aligncenter wp-image-7728 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="7728" 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="Rainforest Moss Foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="568" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/Rainforest-Moss-Foldscope.jpg" width="568"/>
 </a>


 One thing I love about the jungle is how green it is. Due to the high humidity and rainfall, moss is covering just about everything; since moss gametophytes have no vascular system to transport water through the plant they need a damp environment to grow and reproduce. On the right you can see the characteristics of the gametophyte and cells.


 <a alt="Nasutitermes-soldier-chemical-defense-Foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/Nasutitermes-soldier-chemical-defense-Foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="Nasutitermes soldier chemical defense Foldscope" class="aligncenter wp-image-7726 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="7726" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1426799845","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Nasutitermes soldier chemical defense Foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="572" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/Nasutitermes-soldier-chemical-defense-Foldscope.jpg" width="572"/>
 </a>


 The Amazon rainforest has a LOT of termites. With all that decaying wood, these tiny insects are a crucial component for recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. The soldier caste of Nasute termites have modified heads that essentially act as chemical guns: they secrete noxious, glue-like liquids to fight off intruders. The secretions in termite soldiers can be composed of a variety sesquiterpenes and diterpenes that become an irritating and sticky solution for defense.




 Hope you enjoyed these images from the city to the jungle, I’ve got a lot more Foldscope material to share and a video coming soon!




 -Aaron




 Also feel free to follow me on Twitter
 <a alt="AaronPomerantz" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_7722/AaronPomerantz">
 @AaronPomerantz
 </a>

From the City to the Jungle with the Foldscope

I made my first journey to the Peruvian Amazon about a year ago due to the discovery of a new kind of arachnid known as the ‘
 <a alt="what-i-learned-hunting-amazonian-spiders-weave-fake-spiders" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/what-i-learned-hunting-amazonian-spiders-weave-fake-spiders">
 decoy spider
 </a>
 ‘. Since then, I’ve returned to a field site stationed at the Tambopata Research Center and have covered an array of new and interesting arthropods including
 <a href="http://blog.perunature.com/2014/11/uncovering-glowing-mystery-at-refugio.html">
 glow worms
 </a>
 and
 <a href="http://blog.perunature.com/2015/04/we-found-and-yelled-at-crazy-tentacled.html">
 tentacled caterpillars
 </a>
 . But we were missing a valuable tool at this research station: a microscope. Actually, we used to have microscope but the wear-and-tear of the jungle combined with humidity and invading fungi eventually degraded the scientific instrument beyond use. Since receiving the
 <a href="http://blog.perunature.com/2015/02/changing-world-with-50-cent-paper.html">
 Foldscope
 </a>
 , I’ve been able to investigate the micro-world in the Amazon with nothing but this incredible device and a cell phone. Here’s a short video recapping the experience in the field:

<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper">
 
 <iframe allowfullscreen="true" class="youtube-player" height="563" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yyRnLh_c4Hg?version=3&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;autohide=2&amp;showsearch=0&amp;showinfo=1&amp;iv_load_policy=1&amp;wmode=transparent" style="border:0;" type="text/html" width="1000">
 </iframe>
 
</div>



 During my time in the Amazon rainforest, I was able to investigate tiny insects, mites, fungi, and plant cells from 140x to 480x magnification without requiring a large and expensive conventional microscope.


 <img alt="5 mite_GIF" class="wp-image-8138 size-full aligncenter gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8138" 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="5 mite_GIF" data-recalc-dims="1" height="506" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/5-mite_GIF.gif" width="681"/>


 An unknown species of mite documented by connecting a cell phone to the Foldscope


 <a alt="3-Cordyceps-Infected-Spider-Foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/3-Cordyceps-Infected-Spider-Foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="3 Cordyceps Infected Spider Foldscope" class="wp-image-8136 aligncenter gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8136" 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="3 Cordyceps Infected Spider Foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="690" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/3-Cordyceps-Infected-Spider-Foldscope.jpg" width="690"/>
 </a>


 A spider infected by a parasitic fungus known as
 
 <a alt="Cordyceps" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/Cordyceps">
 Cordyceps
 </a>
 
 . The circles show regions of the fungus viewed under the Foldscope






 In the video, I investigate bizarre structures on a plant, which are known as
 <a href="http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/insect-and-mite-galls/">
 leaf galls
 </a>
 . These are sometimes created by insects, but they usually have to be taken back to a lab and inspected in detail under a microscope. Lucky for me, I had the Foldscope in the field! It turns out these were in fact due to insect larvae, which burrowed into the leaf and tweaked the chemistry of the plant to produce galls. Even with macro photography, I couldn’t get much detail of the larva, but at 140x magnification under the Foldscope I was able to document the morphology of this unknown critter.




 <a alt="2-Leaf-gall-compilation-Foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/2-Leaf-gall-compilation-Foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="2 Leaf gall compilation Foldscope" class="aligncenter wp-image-8135 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8135" 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="2 Leaf gall compilation Foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="735" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/2-Leaf-gall-compilation-Foldscope.jpg" width="735"/>
 </a>




 Top left, a leaf is covered in galls. Top right, a cross-section of a gall; notice the tiny insect larva living inside! Bottom, the larva was placed under the Foldscope and viewed on my cell phone. Pictures and videos were recorded in real-time out in the Amazon rainforest




 
 
 
 Suspecting that the galls were formed by some sort of wasp or fly, I later got in touch with a couple of Diptera (fly) experts, Morgan Jackson (
 <a alt="BioInFocus" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/BioInFocus">
 @BioInFocus
 </a>
 ) and Dr. Stephen Gaimari, who helped identify the gall forming culprits as a possible species of fly belonging to the family
 <a alt="bgpage" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/bgpage">
 Cecidomyiidae
 </a>
 .
 
 
 
 
 The research team, led by Dr. Manu Prakash, seeks to “democratize science” by developing tools that are able to scale up to match problems in global health and science education – and I believe they are doing just that with the Foldscope. This device is cheap, easy to use, and broadly applicable whether you’re a curious young student, a medical professional in the field, or someone who is interested in the numerous tiny things that surround us. Until now, I’ve never had a device that made viewing and sharing the microcosmos so accessible.
 
 
 <a alt="1-Folding_GIF.gif" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/1-Folding_GIF.gif">
 <img alt="1 Folding_GIF" class="wp-image-8134 size-full aligncenter gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8134" 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="1 Folding_GIF" data-recalc-dims="1" height="450" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/1-Folding_GIF.gif" width="800"/>
 </a>
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 While the Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, it’s important to note that the diversity of the microcosmos is all around us. Below are some compilations I’ve put together while I tinkered with the Foldscope in Los Angeles before my trip:
 
 
 
 
 <a alt="Bee-sting-compilation.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/Bee-sting-compilation.jpg">
 <img alt="Bee sting compilation" class="wp-image-8143 aligncenter gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8143" 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="Bee sting compilation" data-recalc-dims="1" height="1115" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/Bee-sting-compilation.jpg" width="621"/>
 </a>
 
 
 
 
 The stinger of a honey bee viewed under the Foldscope
 
 
 
 
 <a alt="Aphid-compilation.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/Aphid-compilation.jpg">
 <img alt="Aphid compilation" class="aligncenter wp-image-8142 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8142" 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="Aphid compilation" data-recalc-dims="1" height="712" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/Aphid-compilation.jpg" width="712"/>
 </a>
 
 
 
 
 Aphids feeding on milkweed
 
 
 
 
 <a alt="8-Beach-kelp-worm-compilation.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/8-Beach-kelp-worm-compilation.jpg">
 <img alt="8 Beach kelp worm compilation" class="aligncenter wp-image-8141 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8141" 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="8 Beach kelp worm compilation" data-recalc-dims="1" height="768" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/8-Beach-kelp-worm-compilation.jpg" width="565"/>
 </a>
 
 
 
 
 I took the Foldscope with me to the beach. Bottom left are kelp cells and bottom right is an unknown critter I dug out of the sand (some sort of worm?)
 
 
 
 
 <a alt="7-Skipper-Wing-Scales.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/7-Skipper-Wing-Scales.jpg">
 <img alt="7 Skipper Wing Scales" class="aligncenter wp-image-8140 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8140" 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="7 Skipper Wing Scales" data-recalc-dims="1" height="593" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/7-Skipper-Wing-Scales.jpg" width="593"/>
 </a>
 
 
 
 
 The wing scales of a skipper butterfly
 
 
 
 
 <a alt="Holding-Foldscope.jpg" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/Holding-Foldscope.jpg">
 <img alt="Holding Foldscope" class="aligncenter wp-image-8145 gcloudimg" data-attachment-id="8145" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta='{"aperture":"0","credit":"Jeff Cremer","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1427475933","copyright":"Jeff Cremer","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}' data-image-title="Holding Foldscope" data-recalc-dims="1" height="397" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/Holding-Foldscope.jpg" width="596"/>
 </a>
 
 
 
 
 
 You can follow Aaron for more updates on Twitter
 <a alt="AaronPomerantz" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/AaronPomerantz">
 @AaronPomerantz
 </a>
 and the Stanford University Researchers
 <a alt="PrakashLab" class="gcloudimg" href="https://storage.googleapis.com/microcosmosdelta.appspot.com/images/transfer_8128/PrakashLab">
 @PrakashLab
 </a>

Aaron Pomerantz

Earth

Posts

Butterfly scales through the lens of a Foldscope

From the City to the Jungle with the Foldscope

Putting the Foldscope to the Test in the Amazon Rainforest

Wing Scales & Structural vs Pigment Color

Butterfly Wings – A World of Color

Arthropod Soil Biodiversity and Foldscope-DSLR Camera Hack

Butterfly Wing Structure – Transparency Edition

Foldscope Workshop in the Peruvian Amazon

Why Do Flowers Have Color? A Closer Look with Foldscope

Changing the World with a 50-Cent Paper Microscope

Butterfly scales through the lens of a Foldscope

From the City to the Jungle with the Foldscope

Putting the Foldscope to the Test in the Amazon Rainforest

Wing Scales & Structural vs Pigment Color

Butterfly Wings – A World of Color

Arthropod Soil Biodiversity and Foldscope-DSLR Camera Hack

Butterfly Wing Structure – Transparency Edition

Foldscope Workshop in the Peruvian Amazon

Why Do Flowers Have Color? A Closer Look with Foldscope

Changing the World with a 50-Cent Paper Microscope

Butterfly scales through the lens of a Foldscope

From the City to the Jungle with the Foldscope

Putting the Foldscope to the Test in the Amazon Rainforest

Wing Scales & Structural vs Pigment Color

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Foldscope Lens Magnification