Video Gamers Advancing Genetic Research

Posted by Soulskill on Tuesday December 6, 2011 @11:39PM from the just-slap-a-few-achievements-in-there dept.

An anonymous reader writes "From McGill's news site: 'Thousands of video game players have helped significantly advance our understanding of the genetic basis of diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and cancer over the past year. They are the users of a web-based video game developed by Dr. Jérôme Waldispuhl of the McGill School of Computer Science and collaborator Mathieu Blanchette. Phylo is designed to allow casual game players to contribute to scientific research by arranging multiple sequences of coloured blocks that represent human DNA. By looking at the similarities and differences between these DNA sequences, scientists are able to gain new insight into a variety of genetically-based diseases.'" Hopefully Phylo will be as successful as Foldit.

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Now all they need by Dunbal · 2011-12-07 00:32 · Score: 3, Funny

Is to add a microtransaction model and they should be able to get people to both do the work AND fund the project at the same time!

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Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Link to where you can play the game by Anonymous Coward · 2011-12-07 00:47 · Score: 5, Informative

http://phylo.cs.mcgill.ca/
Zynga's LabVille is just around the corner... by Spud+McDoug · 2011-12-07 00:54 · Score: 5, Funny

First one to 1,000,000 friends gets a Nobel.