Foldscope: The World’s First Paper Microscope
Have you ever heard of a Foldscope? It’s a paper microscope that costs just under $2 to make. These inexpensive microscopes are changing the way that everyone from students to scientists can see the world. Here, btw takes a “closer look” at how it came to be . . .and why this little invention may change the future of science.
The Story of Foldscope
Foldscope is the invention of scientist Manu Prakash, a MacArthur “genius grant” winner, and his colleague Jim Cybulski. Prakash grew up in Meerut, a city in northern India. Growing up, he had never seen a microscope. As he got older, he began experimenting with building them from household items, such as eyeglass lenses. As a professor at Stanford University, Prakash and Cybulski, who was one of his students, noticed that microscopes were often too bulky, broken, or expensive to be practical. They set out to discover the best microscope we could make for $1? That’s when they got the idea to try using origami techniques to fold paper into inexpensive microscopes.
Over the next two years, they built 50,000 paper microscopes for about $1 apiece. Their goal was to give them away to kids in lower income countries. In 2014, they got a grant to pay the cost of shipping their paper microscopes all over the world. So far, they have mailed two million Foldscopes to 180 countries across the globe. Prakash’s home country of India has received half a million of them.
How Does a Paper Microscope Work?
Even though the Foldscope is made from folded paper, it magnifies up to 140 times and can do everything that a traditional microscope can do. It is made of waterproof paper that is also tear-resistant. (The paper is like what dollar bills are made of). It comes in a pouch, as a sheet of paper with four punch-out parts. The body of the microscope is one long piece of paper, held together with magnets. Once it’s assembled, it’s about the size of a bookmark, meaning it’s a microscope you can put right in your pocket.
A few different versions of the Foldscope exist. As of 2022, there is a new mini version with 50x magnification, meant for small children. Others, aimed at researchers and older students, have up to 340x magnification. Researchers like to use the Foldscope because they can take it into the field with them and don’t have to worry about it getting dirty or broken, the way they would with more expensive equipment. Researchers have used Foldscopes to do such things as find bacteria in water samples, detect fake currency, follow toxic algal blooms, and much more.
Science for Everyone
Would you like a Foldscope? Anyone can get one, including you! In December 2015, Prakash and Cybulski founded Foldscope Instruments, Inc. The goal of starting the company was to get Foldscopes (and other low-cost scientific equipment) into more hands. Today, you can buy a Foldscope from the website for as little as $1.75. Kits are also available with cool features like LED lights and multiple lenses. These cost from $40 to $50, but the money goes to help pay to ship Foldscopes for free to children in lower income countries. The site also includes a link to Microcosmos, a community of Foldscope users where people can share their findings and photos.