Scientists have found a teammate in researching and analyzing COVID-19 even better. And -- it turns out -- they are players from the online game "EVE Online."
You read it right, gamers and scientists are embarking on a journey to know more about a virus.
"EVE Online" players are analyzing data from COVID-19 patients, Medical Xpress reported. The said study is made possible by the Francis Crick Institute, St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, and King's College London.
Moreover, the research is under a citizen science project named Project Discovery, as per IGN.
As such, it helps the scientists involved in the project to gather human input. In the past, it has also discovered new planets. And since 2020, the project is trying to know COVID-19 more.
EVE Online Players and Scientist
According to the IGN report, about 327,000 players took part in the in-game tasks that help scientists analyze COVID-19.
But, how did the said partnership happened in the first place?
According to CEO and co-founder of Massively Multiplayer Online Science, Attila Szantner, most citizen science projects evaporates after their launch. It is why he birthed the idea of making similar endeavors compelling enough to last, and create a fruitful outcome.
As a result, Finnbogason and Szantner made an interesting way to keep citizens hooked on a science project: they incorporated it in an online game. Thus, it made "EVE" players dedicated to helping real-world scientists.
Project Discovery started with discovering planets. "EVE" players, then, play a minigame that would help seek out real planets unseen in the solar system. More particularly, the gamers will adjust the luminosity curves to unveiled stars that have encountered planets.
After a successful stint with planets, the gamers and scientists are now teaming up to help end the coronavirus pandemic.
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How Do Gamers Help in COVID-19 Research?
The fight against COVID-19 continues to develop with vaccination. As inoculation is ongoing, certain developments are filling the headlines. It includes the need for booster shots of Pzifer and Moderna, and the third dose for China's Sinopharm.
With that, research about the virus should be fast-tracked. And "EVE" players have done just that. They have contributed to a whopping 300 years worth of research.
As the scientists attempt to study the immune cells in the blood, gamers are spotting patterns of the said cells, Medical Xpress said in the same report.
More precisely, the online players identify the multicolor dots that are colored yellow, red, and green. They will have to draw a polygon in each dot cells. As such, it allows the researchers to count the cell surface proteins.
The data contributed by the gamers could help create a cure from COVID-19 -- and even other similar diseases in the future.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Teejay Boris
