How Video Games like Borderlands 3 are Revolutionising Microbial Research

People love video games—so much that around 3 billion people play them worldwide^[1]. But what if your gaming skills could help scientists solve real-world problems? In a unique collaboration, McGill University, Gearbox Entertainment Company, Massively Multiplayer Online Science, and The Microsetta Initiative developed a mini-game integrated within the popular game Borderlands 3 – played by over four million people. This innovative project directly benefits the real-world scientific community as you play^[2][3].

Scientists Need Help Mapping the Human Gut Microbiome

We have so many bacteria within us that they outnumber our cells^[2]. These microbes significantly impact our health, and understanding them can provide insights into various health conditions. To study these microbes, scientists need to sequence their DNA, decoding the unique structure of each microbe’s DNA^[3][5][6].

The Microsetta Initiative has collected thousands of stool samples to map bacterial DNA and understand how these microbes impact our lives. However, organising this vast amount of data is challenging^[5]. Although computers are reliable technology, they can struggle with the subtle differences in DNA sequences among similar microbes, often making small mistakes that can skew the analysis^[3][5][6].

Mini-Game Explanation

To address this, a scientific task was integrated into Borderlands 3. The task had to make sense in the game: to avoid breaking immersion from the gamer, an arcade booth was placed in a virtual laboratory within the game universe, belonging to the resident scientist (Figure 1)^[3].

Figure 1. Arcade booth in the virtual laboratory.

The genetic code consists of various “building blocks” called nucleotides, represented by the letters A, C, G, T or U^[8]. Decoding these nucleotides reveals the DNA sequence of each microbe. In this mini-game, players are presented with a series of coloured tiles, each representing a nucleotide in a DNA sequence (Figure 2).  By playing and matching the sequences, gamers help identify errors in computer analysis, aiding scientists worldwide in building a better algorithm^[6].

Figure 2. Mini game in Borderlands Science.

What makes this even better is that all this research is open access, benefiting the scientific community. This work could lead to a universal catalogue of all known microbes, paving the way for breakthroughs in food, medicine, exercise, and more^[4][6].

In summary, by integrating a scientific task into Borderlands 3, gamers are not only enjoying their favourite hobby but also contributing to important scientific advancements. This innovative approach could lead to significant breakthroughs in understanding our microbiome and improving health worldwide.

References

1. https://explodingtopics.com/blog/number-of-gamers
2. https://www.eppendorf.com/us-en/beyond-science/health-medicine/bacteria-versus-body-cells-a-11-tie/
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-024-02175-6
4. https://borderlands.2k.com/news/borderlands-science/
5. https://microsetta.ucsd.edu/
6. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240415163707.htm
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_mH6Ak_Ny0&t=136s
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6822018/