Journal article 106 views
Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education
Claire Price 
,
Aidan Seeley ,
Hayley Pincott,
Daniel J. Morse ,
Llinos Harris ,
Gareth Noble
,
Aidan Seeley ,
Hayley Pincott,
Daniel J. Morse ,
Llinos Harris ,
Gareth Noble
Access Microbiology, Volume: 8, Issue: 5
Swansea University Authors:
Claire Price , Aidan Seeley , Llinos Harris , Gareth Noble
Full text not available from this repository: check for access using links below.
DOI (Published version): 10.1099/acmi.0.001179.v3
Abstract
Microbiology education relies heavily on visual interpretation of microbe cultures, microscopy and assays, which can create barriers for blind and visually impaired learners. Inclusive teaching requires multimodal tactile approaches that make microbiology accessible to all students. This work presen...
| Published in: | Access Microbiology |
|---|---|
| Published: |
Microbiology Society
2026
|
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71626 |
| first_indexed |
2026-03-16T16:01:40Z |
|---|---|
| last_indexed |
2026-05-27T22:41:51Z |
| id |
cronfa71626 |
| recordtype |
SURis |
| fullrecord |
<?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2026-05-26T10:41:41.6658786</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>71626</id><entry>2026-03-16</entry><title>Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>9a4e4dfa37f4318c6fa67933d4fc9a17</sid><ORCID>0000-0002-6045-4835</ORCID><firstname>Claire</firstname><surname>Price</surname><name>Claire Price</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>c69dba86b3ccf9a140b67b7e97d68bba</sid><ORCID>0000-0001-7085-4296</ORCID><firstname>Aidan</firstname><surname>Seeley</surname><name>Aidan Seeley</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>dc70f9d4badbbdb5d467fd321986d173</sid><ORCID>0000-0002-0295-3038</ORCID><firstname>Llinos</firstname><surname>Harris</surname><name>Llinos Harris</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>476946fc3ee4292ef85476dedad3e84b</sid><ORCID>0000-0002-4588-049X</ORCID><firstname>Gareth</firstname><surname>Noble</surname><name>Gareth Noble</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2026-03-16</date><deptcode>MEDS</deptcode><abstract>Microbiology education relies heavily on visual interpretation of microbe cultures, microscopy and assays, which can create barriers for blind and visually impaired learners. Inclusive teaching requires multimodal tactile approaches that make microbiology accessible to all students. This work presents two open-source browser-based web applications (the Agar Plate STL Generator and Microscope Slide to STL) designed to convert standard microbiological images into 3D-printable tactile models. Both tools use heightmap-based image processing to translate visual data into topographic 3D surfaces. Users can upload digital images of agar plates or microscope slides (e.g. in jpg format), adjust relief depth through an interactive interface and generate printable STL files without prior experience in computer-aided design or 3D printing. The resulting tactile models replicate spatial and morphological features of microbial growth and microscopy, enabling learners to ‘see through touch’. These tools enable independent participation by visually impaired students and promote multi-sensory engagement for all learners. Both applications and their source code are freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 licence via GitHub and Zenodo. Open-source tactile microbiology tools provide a scalable, inclusive means to bridge the accessibility gap in STEM education. By converting visual laboratory outputs into tangible models, these resources support universal design for learning and foster equitable participation in microbiology.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Access Microbiology</journal><volume>8</volume><journalNumber>5</journalNumber><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher>Microbiology Society</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic/><keywords/><publishedDay>24</publishedDay><publishedMonth>4</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2026</publishedYear><publishedDate>2026-04-24</publishedDate><doi>10.1099/acmi.0.001179.v3</doi><url/><notes>Preprint article before certification by peer review.</notes><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Medical School</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>MEDS</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Not Required</apcterm><funders>This work was partially funded by a Microbiology Society Outreach Grant.</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2026-05-26T10:41:41.6658786</lastEdited><Created>2026-03-16T08:09:09.1248771</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences</level><level id="2">Swansea University Medical School - Biomedical Science</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Claire</firstname><surname>Price</surname><orcid>0000-0002-6045-4835</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Aidan</firstname><surname>Seeley</surname><orcid>0000-0001-7085-4296</orcid><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Hayley</firstname><surname>Pincott</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Daniel J.</firstname><surname>Morse</surname><orcid>0000-0002-0104-4940</orcid><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Llinos</firstname><surname>Harris</surname><orcid>0000-0002-0295-3038</orcid><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Gareth</firstname><surname>Noble</surname><orcid>0000-0002-4588-049X</orcid><order>6</order></author></authors><documents/><OutputDurs/></rfc1807> |
| spelling |
2026-05-26T10:41:41.6658786 v2 71626 2026-03-16 Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education 9a4e4dfa37f4318c6fa67933d4fc9a17 0000-0002-6045-4835 Claire Price Claire Price true false c69dba86b3ccf9a140b67b7e97d68bba 0000-0001-7085-4296 Aidan Seeley Aidan Seeley true false dc70f9d4badbbdb5d467fd321986d173 0000-0002-0295-3038 Llinos Harris Llinos Harris true false 476946fc3ee4292ef85476dedad3e84b 0000-0002-4588-049X Gareth Noble Gareth Noble true false 2026-03-16 MEDS Microbiology education relies heavily on visual interpretation of microbe cultures, microscopy and assays, which can create barriers for blind and visually impaired learners. Inclusive teaching requires multimodal tactile approaches that make microbiology accessible to all students. This work presents two open-source browser-based web applications (the Agar Plate STL Generator and Microscope Slide to STL) designed to convert standard microbiological images into 3D-printable tactile models. Both tools use heightmap-based image processing to translate visual data into topographic 3D surfaces. Users can upload digital images of agar plates or microscope slides (e.g. in jpg format), adjust relief depth through an interactive interface and generate printable STL files without prior experience in computer-aided design or 3D printing. The resulting tactile models replicate spatial and morphological features of microbial growth and microscopy, enabling learners to ‘see through touch’. These tools enable independent participation by visually impaired students and promote multi-sensory engagement for all learners. Both applications and their source code are freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 licence via GitHub and Zenodo. Open-source tactile microbiology tools provide a scalable, inclusive means to bridge the accessibility gap in STEM education. By converting visual laboratory outputs into tangible models, these resources support universal design for learning and foster equitable participation in microbiology. Journal Article Access Microbiology 8 5 Microbiology Society 24 4 2026 2026-04-24 10.1099/acmi.0.001179.v3 Preprint article before certification by peer review. COLLEGE NANME Medical School COLLEGE CODE MEDS Swansea University Not Required This work was partially funded by a Microbiology Society Outreach Grant. 2026-05-26T10:41:41.6658786 2026-03-16T08:09:09.1248771 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Swansea University Medical School - Biomedical Science Claire Price 0000-0002-6045-4835 1 Aidan Seeley 0000-0001-7085-4296 2 Hayley Pincott 3 Daniel J. Morse 0000-0002-0104-4940 4 Llinos Harris 0000-0002-0295-3038 5 Gareth Noble 0000-0002-4588-049X 6 |
| title |
Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education |
| spellingShingle |
Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education Claire Price Aidan Seeley Llinos Harris Gareth Noble |
| title_short |
Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education |
| title_full |
Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education |
| title_fullStr |
Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education |
| title_sort |
Visible Through Touch: Open-Source 3D-Printed Tools for Inclusive Microbiology Education |
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9a4e4dfa37f4318c6fa67933d4fc9a17 c69dba86b3ccf9a140b67b7e97d68bba dc70f9d4badbbdb5d467fd321986d173 476946fc3ee4292ef85476dedad3e84b |
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9a4e4dfa37f4318c6fa67933d4fc9a17_***_Claire Price c69dba86b3ccf9a140b67b7e97d68bba_***_Aidan Seeley dc70f9d4badbbdb5d467fd321986d173_***_Llinos Harris 476946fc3ee4292ef85476dedad3e84b_***_Gareth Noble |
| author |
Claire Price Aidan Seeley Llinos Harris Gareth Noble |
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Claire Price Aidan Seeley Hayley Pincott Daniel J. Morse Llinos Harris Gareth Noble |
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Access Microbiology |
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8 |
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5 |
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2026 |
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Swansea University |
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10.1099/acmi.0.001179.v3 |
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Microbiology Society |
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Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
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Swansea University Medical School - Biomedical Science{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Swansea University Medical School - Biomedical Science |
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| description |
Microbiology education relies heavily on visual interpretation of microbe cultures, microscopy and assays, which can create barriers for blind and visually impaired learners. Inclusive teaching requires multimodal tactile approaches that make microbiology accessible to all students. This work presents two open-source browser-based web applications (the Agar Plate STL Generator and Microscope Slide to STL) designed to convert standard microbiological images into 3D-printable tactile models. Both tools use heightmap-based image processing to translate visual data into topographic 3D surfaces. Users can upload digital images of agar plates or microscope slides (e.g. in jpg format), adjust relief depth through an interactive interface and generate printable STL files without prior experience in computer-aided design or 3D printing. The resulting tactile models replicate spatial and morphological features of microbial growth and microscopy, enabling learners to ‘see through touch’. These tools enable independent participation by visually impaired students and promote multi-sensory engagement for all learners. Both applications and their source code are freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 licence via GitHub and Zenodo. Open-source tactile microbiology tools provide a scalable, inclusive means to bridge the accessibility gap in STEM education. By converting visual laboratory outputs into tangible models, these resources support universal design for learning and foster equitable participation in microbiology. |
| published_date |
2026-04-24T17:19:36Z |
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1866630930177720320 |
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11.106612 |