This is the moment a high-resolution microscope is built solely out of LEGO pieces and a smartphone lens.

The fully functional, high-resolution microscope with capabilities close to a modern research microscope, made of plastic LEGO bricks and old phone parts, was built by a group of children aged 9 to 13 under the supervision of a team from the universities of Gottingen and Munster.

The research team wanted to use the project to encourage young children to study the sciences.

The microscopes are designed to be fully functional and have similar capabilities as modern research microscopes allowing users to zoom in on the individual cells of an organism.

The microscope is built from LEGO apart from the lenses which are taken from smartphones.

The research team discovered that the lenses in modern smartphone cameras are not only very cheap, costing around GBP 4 per unit, but are also very high quality.

Researchers gathered the required materials and then prepared step-by-step instructions on how to build the microscope from scratch along with a tutorial on how to use it after its completion

They then gave the instructions and materials to a group of nine to 13-year-old children who constructed the microscopes while being observed and helped by the research team.

In a statement obtained by Newsflash, Professor Timo Betz from the University of Gottingen said: “An understanding of science is crucial for decision-making and brings many benefits in everyday life, such as problem-solving and creativity.”

He added: “We wanted to find a way to nurture natural curiosity, help people grasp fundamental principles and see the potential of science.”

After the children completed their tasks and went through the tutorial, they were given a questionnaire that measured their enthusiasm and how much they learned during the project.

The questionnaires revealed that students who built and used their own microscope had not only absorbed more information during the experiment but were also more enthusiastic about it.

Betz said: “We hope that this modular microscope will be used in classrooms and homes all over the world to excite and inspire children about science.”