Cancer Research UK has hired Dundee games developer Guerilla Tea to build an app that could put game technology to lifesaving use.
The aim of the GeneGame is to help Cancer Research UK analyse the massive amounts of data created by increasingly sophisticated methods of targeting cancer.
Scientists are investigating new ways to treat patients based on their genetic fingerprint but this research produces huge amounts of data, much of which has to be analysed by the human eye.
It is hoped the game, to be launched later this year, will speed up the analysis process by getting the public involved.
Amy Carton, citizen science lead for Cancer Research UK, said: “We were very impressed by the initial format produced by Guerilla Tea and we’re excited about seeing the final result.
“We’re right at the start of a world-first initiative that will result in a game that we hope hundreds of thousands of people across the globe will want to play over and over again and at the same time, generate robust scientific data analysis.
“Combining complicated cancer research data and gaming technology in this way has never been done before. It’s certainly no mean feat but we’re working with the best scientific and technology brains in the business.
“We’re ready for the challenge and believe the results will have global impact and speed up research.”
Mark Hastings, chief executive of Guerilla Tea, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been selected by Cancer Research UK for this project.
“We’ve always believed games technology has the potential to provide huge benefits to other sectors and this project will be a wonderful example of that.
“We’re very excited to get started and through our work, look forward to helping speed up discoveries that one day might lead to new cancer treatments,” he added.
GeneGame follows up on the charity’s Cell Slider, launched in October 2012, which allows the public to classify archived breast cancer samples, helping Cancer Research UK scientists to better understand breast cancer risk and response to treatment.