I conducted this project as part of Professor Pringle’s EEB321 class at Princeton University. This was my first time learning of this handy invention and I was very interested in how the foldscope can be used for diagnosis of diseases such as malaria. Because of this, I sought to explore different cells or organisms that may reside on the human body. I know that a lot of diagnoses are made using bodily fluids but for the purposes of this laboratory, extracting bodily fluids would be unsanitary and difficult. Thus, I came to the conclusion that I would place a few pieces of my hair under the foldscope to test its magnification and to see if I could observe the follicles' cells, along with any organisms that may reside on them. I have heard from colloquial health blogs that the condition of our skin, hair, and nails are good indicators of our general health. I am curious as to whether there are any organisms such as bacteria that may reside in the dead cells of hair follicles or fingernails that differ between people. It would be very interesting to explore if our skin, hair, or nail "microbiome" correlate with having certain illnesses or with overall bodily health.