Pakistani Students Develop Portable Microscope

Pakistan harbors amazing talents be it arts or academics. All we need is to provide proper platforms and the people will start showcasing their potential. One such example is the recent accomplishment of the students at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET). The students, Hamza Bhutto and Namdaar Zahid, of MUET, have invented the portable microscope that is the size of a palm. This microscope was able to accurately detect the germs that were present in the contaminated water. The students used this device to prove that nearly 80 percent of the water we are drinking contains germs that can adversely affect our health. 

Talking about their project to ARY News Channel, the students explained their findings. The invention was made using 3D print, and this amazing microscope is portable, considering it can fit into one’s pocket. Normally, the procedure for detecting germs in water is very complicated and tedious. The compound microscopes present in the laboratory are quite heavy and are usually fixed in one place. A sample of water has to be collected and taken to a laboratory for testing. By creating a portable microscope, they have changed the entire game and made things much easier for people. Hamza Bhutto and Namdaar Zahid said that they were making data sets and setting colors for different kinds of bacteria detected through the microscope. They would divide the data collected into green, yellow, and red zones to identify the level of threat that these detected germs pose to human health. For accuracy, the students have used the lens of a compound microscope. When asked a question about how it works, the students explained in layman terms that the slide containing a water sample will be inserted into the portable microscope and it will detect the germs. The results will be shown through a mobile app that is designed only for the app. 

Currently, the device is not available in the market because the students have only developed the prototype. They have expressed the possibility of developing these devices on a grand scale if they are supported by the government. 

An achievement like this speaks volumes about what students in Pakistan can achieve. It also showcases the potential of some of the unnoticed universities in Pakistan in providing the groundwork for innovation and development. 

Pakistan First Ever Digitized Population Census