Smartphone-integrated field microscopy (SPFM): a low-cost and portable tool to study live biological specimens in the wild

Abstract

Images and videos of organisms recorded in the wild have relevance for biodiversity studies. With the advent of smartphones and their potential integration with microscopy, scientific documentation and recording of organisms has surged to an unprecedented scale. Here we report a novel method, developed by integration of a portable smartphone with a handheld field microscope that we term Smartphone-integrated Field Microscopy (SPFM), to capture images and videos which can be highly useful in field-based biodiversity studies. We firstly describe the design of the method and equipment used, followed by successful field demonstration of the method using a case study of the gymnosperm Ephedra intermedia Schrenk & C. A. Meyer in the Kashmir Himalaya. We then discuss the novelty of our method and its potential applications in biodiversity studies.

Keywords:

• Biodiversity
• field microscopy
• images
• mobile phones
• videos

Acknowledgements

During the course of the present study, financial support received from SERB-DST (grant no: EMR/2015/000167) and MoEFCC (under AICOPTAX, F. No. 22018/12/2015/RE(Tax), Government of India, New Delhi to Anzar A Khuroo is greatly acknowledged. The help in insect identification by Dr. A.H. Buhroo, Dr. Aijaz A. Wachkoo, Mohd Abas Shah is also acknowledged. The useful comments made by the anonymous reviewers and language editing by Prof. Jeff Ollerton, University of Northampton, UK are highly acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

SERB-DST, Govt of India, New Delhi; MoEFCC under AICOPTAX, Government of India, New Delhi.