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Global Open Science Hardware

FEATURE

FlyPi Modular

Fluorescence microscopy has been used in the study of

cells and living tissues since it was first developed by

Otto Heimstaedt and Heinrich Lehmann in the early 1900s.

By observing tissue samples prepared with a fluorescent

DNA stain, the organisation of the DNA within the cells

can be revealed.

DAYGLO

Capturing tiny details

rof. Tom Baden, a neuroscientist at

the University of Sussex, worked

with André Maia Chagas of the

University of Tübingen to develop

the FlyPi, a 3D-printable open-source

microscopy system. The FlyPi is based

on a Raspberry Pi 3, Arduino Nano microcontroller,

high-definition camera, and a range of off-the-shelf

electronic components. All of the mechanical parts

of their device are 3D-printed and allow for modular

placement of additional components, including holders

for Petri dishes and microscope slides. In its simplest

form, the FlyPi can be assembled for well under £100.

This remarkably low price means that the FlyPi can

be used by under-funded labs across the world, for

classroom teaching in schools, and by enthusiasts

interested in participating in citizen science.

ALL-IN-ONE BIOLOGY LAB

Tom explains that the average assembly time for the

FlyPi, including the complete software setup, usually

takes around two to three hours. However, those

without previous soldering experience should expect it

to take up to five hours. “FlyPi is not our only creation;

we have actually built several pieces of equipment

• pipettes, micromanipulators, and “even a pico-
  injector,” he says. “But some form of microscope is at
  the core of most biomedical labs and, as such, it’s an
  obvious starting point.”
  According to Tom, the ever falling price of high-
  performance charge-coupled device (CCD) chips
  and optical components means that a functional
  neuroscience laboratory, capable of delivering high-

quality research data can be built from scratch for

magnitudes less than the cost required to purchase a

single commercial scientific instrument. “If you break

the lens out of a cheap laser pointer and tape it over

a mobile phone camera, you already have a pretty

powerful microscope in your pocket,” Tom explains.

While developing the FlyPi, Tom and André

discovered that a popular 12 mm adjustable-focus

camera module for the Raspberry Pi could already

P

Below

A 3D-printed FlyPi,

with the Raspberry

Pi 3 clearly visible

Images

Open-Labware.net

Above

Prof. Tom Baden guides a FlyPi fabrication class

Microscopy

System