Workshop on Foldscope and Anti Microbial Resistance
An institution successfully managing research in active academics are fostering students’ learning in a creative educational environment, promisingly they are rocketing their students’ towards making better society for the future.
On 12 th August 2023, a workshop on Foldscope and Anti-Microbial Resistance was held for Std IX students by Dr Anupma Harshal at VPMS Pune in Multipurpose Hall, Junior Block.
The objective of the workshop was to engage the students through the use of the foldscope to visualize the microbial flora around us, on our body, in our body fluids and more. Students could see their own slides and explore the various organisms and understand that we are in a dynamic interaction with these microbes. Students were offered with a hands-on experience to see and enjoy the microbial world. In the foldscope activity, Students made thin sections of various samples like Flowers, leaves, Onion, Potato and Vegetable Peels. They could see the structure and arrangements of the cells, pith, pollen grains and cell arrangement in vascular bundles. The session also helped students to understand that there are good and bad bacteria. It made them aware that pathogenic bacteria are what we are call the bad bacteria and that these cause diseases that need medical intervention. Dr Anupma raised an awareness about the need for a medical practitioner to prescribe antibiotics and the significance of the red line on these formulations. She also introduced the concept of resistance and its transmission. She stressed on the topic of why it is essential to not self-medicate.
The session comprised of a role play, Q&A s, deliberation & usage of Foldscope to see different cells. Pre and post session evaluations were done to help the participants understand how much they had learned.
The feedback collected after conducting both the sessions was that of great fascination and satisfaction as was reported by almost all the participating students. They want to learn much more by using a foldscope.
