UCC computer game helps players learn ‘gut reactions’

AN educational computer game that takes players on a bacteria-blasting journey through the human gut has been developed by University College Cork.

The aim of the Gut Reaction game is to clear the gut of infection by obliterating bad bacteria along the way, and to ‘feed’ off the good bacteria to ensure a steady supply of ammunition.

Players meet cancer cells, organisms like salmonella and campylobacter, the most common cause of food poisoning in humans, and ulcer-causing helicobacter during the game’s five levels.