Photo by Rehman Tungekar
Manu Prakash invented a paper microscope that’s now being used in research labs and classrooms around the world. Prakash, a Stanford bioengineer and MacArthur “genius,” believes science should be democratized. So his mission in life is to invent scientific tools that are portable and inexpensive. His 50 cent microscope is now being used to diagnose malaria and other infectious diseases.