Who knew drug discovery could be this fun?
A virtual reality video game developed
by Purdue researchers offers an immersive,
citizen-scientist tool to develop potential
treatments for cancer and Alzheimer’s
With an H TC Vive headset strapped on
and controllers in both hands, the game
player travels inside a biological cell. The
goal is to find the right combination of molecules to combat a disease.
Gaurav Chopra, assistant professor of
chemistry, collaborated with chemistry
graduate student Jonathan Fine, staff members at the Purdue Envision Center for Data
Perceptualization and computer science
undergraduate students to develop the
A chemistry degree is not required to
manipulate molecular models or dive into
a colorful protein. Players create new molecules, and a skilled player could discover
a molecular combination that leads to a
potential drug. The player not only gets a
high score, but he or she can get in on the
research itself, which is where the true
uniqueness of the game comes in.
“With so many different routes to take
in treatment of diseases like cancer and
Alzheimer’s, the drug discovery field is still
wide open,” Chopra says. “This is a fun way
of involving citizens in science and, along
the way, they can learn more chemistry.
By Tim Brouk