Scientists turned the Lumia 1020 into a microscope for DNA sequencing

by Milen Yanachkov / Jan 18, 2017, 4:59 AM

Scientists turned the Lumia 1020 into a microscope for DNA sequencing

The Nokia Lumia 1020 may not have made a big splash in the mobile world, sales-wise at least and for numerous reasons, but it was highly regarded as one of the best smartphone cameras around, and rightfully so. The 1020 launched in 2013 with its biggest stand-out feature being a massive 41 MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics, coupled with OIS and an excellent Xenon flash to boot. And there is no better testament to the qualities of Lumia 1020's primary shooter than the fact that, nearly 4 years after the phone was released, it was just recently turned into a one-of-a-kind digital microscope.

That's right, scientists from UCLA and Sweden have built a compact digital microscope that employs a Nokia Lumia 1020 camera and two LEDs, and can be used for molecular diagnostics and DNA sequencing in the field. This could be an important development, the scientific team behind the project claims, as portable, mobile-phone-based microscopes could potentially allow doctors to perform complex diagnostics on the spot and without specialized lab equipment.

“With their rapidly expanding imaging and sensing capabilities, computational power, and connectivity, mobile phones help translating biomedical measurements from lab environments to […] the field,” the researchers wrote in their paper.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Lumia 1020-powered mobile microscope, you can read the entire research paper that was published in Nature Communications on Tuesday (linked below).

Here's to hoping that upcoming devices bearing the Nokia name continue the tradition of featuring amazing camera tech inside.

source: Nature via Gizmodo

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12 Comments

6. peace247 unregistered

Best camera phone

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 6:19 AM 2

7. POLO_Doe

Posts: 14; Member since: Jan 16, 2017

At least their being put to good use after all these years

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 6:56 AM 1

10. juandante

Posts: 679; Member since: Apr 23, 2013

Not like she sheepPhones - sorry iPhones

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 9:21 AM 2

8. palmguy

Posts: 982; Member since: Mar 22, 2011

Always wanted a 1020 but never could since it was ATT GSM & I was back in the days Sprint CDMA.

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 7:52 AM 2

11. jack11141

Posts: 73; Member since: Sep 30, 2015

I have lumia 1020 and still using it in 2017 as my secondary phone but primary for taking pictures and videos.

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 9:48 AM 1

12. tangbunna

Posts: 480; Member since: Sep 29, 2016

from lab environment to ... the field.

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 9:50 AM 0

13. rsiders

Posts: 1954; Member since: Nov 17, 2011

The Lumia 1020 was years ahead of its time. Glad I still own one and still get some impressive imagery out of that sensor. 41mp sensor with better processung algorithms, and SD835...that's all I'm saying. Think about it. Not only a beast camera but as fast as the latest phones out today and running Android. It would be the phone to beat for the next couple years.

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 12:13 PM 2

15. Vagelara

Posts: 12; Member since: Jan 16, 2017

I LOVE NOKIAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 3:43 PM 1

16. Crispin_Gatieza

Posts: 3137; Member since: Jan 23, 2014

Milen, do your homework. PureView is owned by Microsoft and won't be on any upcoming Nokia. There were even articles on PA about this. Don't feed the trolls false hope with inadequate reporting, it just ain't cool.

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 5:43 PM 1

17. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

sure it have huge sensor, but for DNA sequencing? really? :-/ the last time I see DNA sequencer in my college time it's still as big as pizza ovens, and I'm sure it's still as big as that

posted on Jan 18, 2017, 10:14 PM 0

19. kevin007in

Posts: 327; Member since: Oct 28, 2015

woaa. even after almost 4 years of launch I recently got used 1020 only because I regret selling it 2 years ago. I am using galaxy s7 edge also but the camera of s7 edge does not stand a chance. The matter of fact is that technology for good phone cameras have not improved much after NOKIA left.Nokia was way ahead in camera tech . I compared night shots of s7 edge with my 1020 and could not believe my eyes. 1020 produced far more better looking shots. the same is the scenario with day light shots. Samsung produces over sharp images, nothing else. Waiting anxiously for NOKIA FLAGSHIP and hopefully a successor to 41 mp camera and even bigger sensor.

posted on Jan 19, 2017, 10:03 AM 0

20. Chanmaxi

Posts: 20; Member since: Jan 19, 2017

scientist 1: dude, check out ma new phone scientist 2: a f**king lumia? what is it, 2002? scientist 1: I can use it in DNA sequencing scientist 2: holy s**t that's amazing af fam