Free first-person shooter teaches about chemistry, biology

The inner workings of our bodies are extraordinary processes and one of the most amazing is the way in which the body fends off harmful organisms. With this in mind, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has created a video game that turns these biological processes into a first-person shooter.

The free, downloadable PC game called Immune Attack puts players in charge of helping a patient fight off an infection. Using a nanobot to navigate through tissues and blood vessels, players interact with the body’s defenses to give them a hand against the invading organisms.

This microscopic world is accurately rendered according to modern representations of each biological structure such as proteins or white cells. This is aimed at getting players interested in the wold of microbiology and the internal functions of the body.

The FAS conducted a study introducing the game to high school students and they showed an increased understanding of cellular biology. The game allows for a first person view of many biological structures allowing students a better understanding of how the body fends off disease and infections.

Video games have proven a great teaching tool and I think it’s great to see that their use is expanding to include new areas. Maybe soon we will find more interactive tools like this at schools everywhere and notebooks and blackboards will be a thing of the past.

Read [Eurekalert] Also Read [Science Daily] Site [Immune Attack]