openScopes Africa is a collaboration between Imperial College London, the University of Cape Town, and the African Microscopy Initiative (AMI) to make advanced optical microscopy accessible throughout Africa. Supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, this project brings affordable research-grade microscopy to laboratories that cannot access commercial instruments. AMI and openScopes Africa are jointly addressing local research priorities by providing African scientists with tools they can build, maintain, and adapt to their specific needs.

 

AMI seeks to connect African scientists with openScopes technology, helping to provide regional expertise for locally sustainable solutions. Additionally, AMI has hosted both online and in-person training workshops to disseminate this knowledge to researchers in the continent.

​

Together, openScopes Africa and AMI have:

• Trained scientists from 14 African countries through online workshops

• Conducted hands-on assembly training for researchers from 9 countries

• Established two working microscopes at UCT's Institute of Infectious Disease & Molecular Medicine

• Hosted two researchers for month-long fellowships to gain hands-on experience with the modular, low-cost microscopes

• Donated 18 openEyeCams to researchers throughout the continent to convert existing microscopes into digital research tools

​

Please see the openScopes Africa website for more information by clicking the logo below:

​