Citizens seek cancer cure with 'Genes in Space' smartphone game

[p1wookie]

Gaming enthusiasts across the world can from Tuesday join the search for cancer cures with a citizen science project using a smartphone game to help researchers analyze vast volumes of genetic data from tumor samples.

Each time a player steers the ship to follow the Element Alpha path, they also reveal patterns and, unwittingly, provide analysis of variations in the genetic data, explained Hannah Keartland, who led the project for CRUK and unveiled the game at a London launch on Tuesday.

It is this information that will be fed back to CRUK scientists. And to ensure accuracy, each section of gene data will be tracked by several different players.

"We want anyone, anywhere, at any age, to download this game and play it," said Keartland.

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It seems along the same lines as Folding@Home. It seems like a great idea to me. A much more accessible way of 'folding' for the masses, and they can have fun playing a game while they do it.

 

[Jordan]

This is a great idea, especially how fast and high powered smartphones have become in recent years. Being able to provide help while gaming is pure awesome. I hope other developers make games like this and fingers crossed it really takes off and possibly becomes a new gaming craze.

I've just looked at an article from Yahoo, which stated that are one billion smartphones being used around the world, but this was written in 2012, so it's probably a stupid a ridiculous amount now. So if just one is ten people play this then that's a great amount of research just from that.

I'll be recommending this to all my friends, as well as plastering it where I can.

Thank you for the post, I'll look forward to seeing how this pans out in the future.

 

[Edge]

In all honesty, the game is a jittery mess and needs some refinement, but the concept is great and the cause is excellent