British Researchers 'Gamify' Cancer Cure Search

Posted by Soulskill on Friday March 1, 2013 @04:15AM from the still-no-cure-for-cancer-oh-wait dept.

nk497 writes "Scientists from Cancer Research UK are working with Amazon, Facebook and Google to design and develop a mobile game aimed at speeding up the search for new cancer drugs. The first step is for 40 computer programmers, gamers, graphic designers and other specialists to take part in a weekend "GameJam" to turn the charity's raw genetic data into a game format, with a working title of GeneRun. 'We're making great progress in understanding the genetic reasons cancer develops. But the clues to why some drugs will work and some won't are held in data that needs to be analysed by the human eye — and this could take years,' said Carlos Caldas at Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Institute. 'By harnessing the collective power of citizen scientists we'll accelerate the discovery of new ways to diagnose and treat cancer much more precisely.'"

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Captchas by Bookwyrm · 2013-03-01 04:31 · Score: 2

Pity they can't make this work as a captcha -- harnessing the power of all the spammers instead of the gamers to solve the problem.
1. Re:Captchas by FilmedInNoir · 2013-03-01 05:28 · Score: 2
  
  Or bitcoin mining. Though I suppose if the cure for cancer was found the bitcoin economy would collapse.
  
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  Sig. Sig. Sputnik
Re:Folding@Home? by game+kid · 2013-03-01 05:25 · Score: 2

Besides, why not both? Play this game on your mobiles, and fire up F@h on your less shackled machines--a one-two punch to the disease. :)

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You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.