Publish at December 12 2010 Updated November 20 2024
Genetics is a very abstract and recent concept in the history of science. Researchers are working relentlessly to sequence genomes, which is particularly useful in the field of health, to understand the role of genes in the presence of particular diseases, called genetic diseases.
But how can we imagine entrusting part of this sequencing work to ordinary people with no knowledge of genetics? That's exactly what Montreal's McGill University is proposing, with the Phylo game.
The player is asked to align gene combinations, symbolized by colored squares. When the game starts, two series are displayed, corresponding to two species of living being. The player must match the colors of the top and bottom series by moving the squares horizontally. When it's not possible to match two squares of the same color, a space can be left. But each space takes away points... The player plays against the computer. He is notified when he has achieved the best possible alignment. He then moves on to the next level, which adds a line of squares. This quickly becomes an arduous task.
It's essential to read the tutorial carefully to understand how the game works and what it's all about. Next, you choose the number of possible combinations (from 3 to 8) or the type of disease you wish to "treat" (around ten categories).
This game is not a simple exercise in logic, even if that's its main play value. The tutorial explains that the alignments proposed by the community of players will help researchers to understand the possible mutations that could occur in the genetic sequences of over 150 diseases. Obviously, it will take a lot of games played to have a significant impact, which is why we hope Phylo will become as popular as Farmville on Facebook!
Despite the game's difficulty, replayability is great. Because you want to improve your score and try out different configurations. So Phylo can quickly become an exciting pastime. What's more, every new game session contributes a little to genetic research, so why deprive yourself?
Phylo can be played as a simple pastime or as part of a course on the principles of genome sequencing.
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