Introduction to the intersection of physics and biology including information on the tools (3D printing, microscopy, electronics, MATLAB, etc.) and methods used in studying the physics of living systems.
Goal: Turn your smartphone into a microscope by designing and 3D printing a stage (or clip) that can be used with ball lenses of varying diameter (inspired by the work of Anton van Leeuwenhoek). Convert a webcam into a microscope by inverting the lens.
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Webscope
Webscope
Goal: Construct a laboratory shaking incubator that can provide vigorous shaking for culture tubes (25mm X 150mm test tubes) and maintains a constant, uniform temperature (30 deg C OR 37 deg C).
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#include
//TMP36 Pin Variables
int sensorPin = 0; //the analog pin the TMP36's Vout (sense) pin is connected to
//the resolution is 10 mV / degree centigrade with a
//500 mV offset to allow for negative temperatures
// light bulb
int RELAY1 = 9;
// speaker
int shake1 = 10;
int shake2 = 11;
// servo
int servoPin = 6;
int angle = 0; // servo position in degrees
Servo servo;
/*
* setup() - this function runs once when you turn your Arduino on
* We initialize the serial connection with the computer
*/
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(9600); //Start the serial connection with the computer
//to view the result open the serial monitor
pinMode(RELAY1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(shake1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(shake2, OUTPUT);
servo.attach(servoPin);
}
void loop() // run over and over again
{
//getting the voltage reading from the temperature sensor
int reading = analogRead(sensorPin);
// converting that reading to voltage, for 3.3v arduino use 3.3
float voltage = reading * 5.0;
voltage /= 1024.0;
// print out the voltage
Serial.print(voltage); Serial.println(" volts");
// now print out the temperature
float temperatureC = (voltage - 0.5) * 100 ; //converting from 10 mv per degree wit 500 mV offset
//to degrees ((voltage - 500mV) times 100)
Serial.print(temperatureC); Serial.println(" degrees C");
//cells = 37 // incubator ideal temp
//yeast = 30 incubator ideal temp
//while(1){
//digitalWrite(RELAY1,LOW);
// delay(1000);
// digitalWrite(RELAY1,HIGH);
// delay(1000);
//}
if (temperatureC < 30) {
digitalWrite(RELAY1,HIGH);
Serial.print("T < 30 degrees C -- LIGHT ON");
Serial.print("\n");
} else {
digitalWrite(RELAY1,LOW);
Serial.print("T > 30 degrees C -- LIGHT OFF");
Serial.print("\n");
}
tone(shake1,45);
tone(shake2,45);
// scan from 0 to 40 degrees
for(angle = 0; angle < 40; angle=angle+20)
{
servo.write(angle);
delay(300);
}
// now scan back from 40 to 0 degrees
for(angle = 40; angle > 0; angle=angle-20)
{
servo.write(angle);
delay(300);
delay(10000); // wait 10 seconds
}
Goal: To achieve a deeper understand of the amount of life present in a drop of water students will use their converted webcam microscopes to capture an image of an organism in pond scum. Based on the images and observations, they must also identify the organism.