Design of a Low-Cost Phone-Based Fluorescence Microscope Incorporating the Photoacoustic Effect to Modify the Fluorescence of Planarian Toxicity Fluorescent Assay-Induced Dugesia tigrina
School Name
Spring Valley High School
Grade Level
11th Grade
Presentation Topic
Engineering
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
Fluorescence microscopes are a pivotal component of scientific research. However, they are expensive and can cause photobleaching in specimens over long exposure periods. These issues are responsible for hindering scientific progress by producing malignant data and preventing research. To counter this, this research aimed to design a phone-based fluorescence microscope incorporating the photoacoustic effect. This effect states that tissue exposed to pulsed light absorbs the light’s energy, rises in temperature, thermally expands, and produces acoustic waves. This approach was taken because a smartphone dramatically reduces the cost of the device and the photoacoustic effect’s expansion may improve specimen fluorescence. This device consisted of a 3D printed frame and parts, an objective lens, tube lens, and breadboard circuit with LED lights and an Arduino Uno. The prototype was tested using Dugesia tigrina by calculating each specimen’s corrected total cell fluorescence (CTCF) when treated with a planarian toxicity fluorescence assay. This assay was performed by exposing organisms to an antiseptic solution, then to the fluorescent dye sodium fluorescein, and then viewing them under the prototype before and after a five-minute period with and without the photoacoustic effect. It was found that the prototype achieved its goal by preventing photobleaching, but a two-way repeated measures ANOVA reported that the presence of the photoacoustic effect, photobleaching, and their interaction had no significant effect on CTCF at an alpha value of 0.05 (F(1,29) = [2.427], F(1,29) = [.020], F(1,29) = [.954]). However, the ηp2 of the photoacoustic effect revealed that this played a moderate role in data variance.
Recommended Citation
Kalva, Srianeesh, "Design of a Low-Cost Phone-Based Fluorescence Microscope Incorporating the Photoacoustic Effect to Modify the Fluorescence of Planarian Toxicity Fluorescent Assay-Induced Dugesia tigrina" (2024). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 485.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2024/all/485
Location
RITA 103
Start Date
3-23-2024 11:15 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
Design of a Low-Cost Phone-Based Fluorescence Microscope Incorporating the Photoacoustic Effect to Modify the Fluorescence of Planarian Toxicity Fluorescent Assay-Induced Dugesia tigrina
RITA 103
Fluorescence microscopes are a pivotal component of scientific research. However, they are expensive and can cause photobleaching in specimens over long exposure periods. These issues are responsible for hindering scientific progress by producing malignant data and preventing research. To counter this, this research aimed to design a phone-based fluorescence microscope incorporating the photoacoustic effect. This effect states that tissue exposed to pulsed light absorbs the light’s energy, rises in temperature, thermally expands, and produces acoustic waves. This approach was taken because a smartphone dramatically reduces the cost of the device and the photoacoustic effect’s expansion may improve specimen fluorescence. This device consisted of a 3D printed frame and parts, an objective lens, tube lens, and breadboard circuit with LED lights and an Arduino Uno. The prototype was tested using Dugesia tigrina by calculating each specimen’s corrected total cell fluorescence (CTCF) when treated with a planarian toxicity fluorescence assay. This assay was performed by exposing organisms to an antiseptic solution, then to the fluorescent dye sodium fluorescein, and then viewing them under the prototype before and after a five-minute period with and without the photoacoustic effect. It was found that the prototype achieved its goal by preventing photobleaching, but a two-way repeated measures ANOVA reported that the presence of the photoacoustic effect, photobleaching, and their interaction had no significant effect on CTCF at an alpha value of 0.05 (F(1,29) = [2.427], F(1,29) = [.020], F(1,29) = [.954]). However, the ηp2 of the photoacoustic effect revealed that this played a moderate role in data variance.
