Immune Attack
Encyclopedia
Immune Attack is an educational video game created by the Federation of American Scientists
and Escape Hatch Entertainment. Early development of the game was done by Brown University
, in collaboration with the University of Southern California
, under a grant from the National Science Foundation
. The game is designed to teach immunology
to high school students, although later versions will cater to college aged students as well.
The game was officially released in May of 2008, and is freely available for download.
in which the immune system
is "present, yet non-functional" - as if all the immune cells have forgotten what to do. The hero decides to take matters into her own hands, and allies herself with a team of scientists to create a nanobot with the abilities to teach cells how to fight bacterial and viral infections.
The player assumes the role of a pilot remote-controlling the nanobot Explorer. With the help of advisors, the player must learn about the different cells and environments in the human body
in order to determine how to train the immune system. Visual and audio clues in the game provide the information needed to accomplish this goal.
Each subsequent level of Immune Attack features a different infection, and a different cell type the player must train. Cells trained on previous levels are available for deployment as well, allowing the user to make use of a wide range of agents to accomplish their mission.
Federation of American Scientists
The Federation of American Scientists is a nonpartisan, 501 organization intent on using science and scientific analysis to attempt make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1945 by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs...
and Escape Hatch Entertainment. Early development of the game was done by Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, in collaboration with the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, under a grant from the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
. The game is designed to teach immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
to high school students, although later versions will cater to college aged students as well.
The game was officially released in May of 2008, and is freely available for download.
Game summary
The protagonist of Immune Attack is a teenaged prodigy in the near-future with a unique immunodeficiencyImmunodeficiency
Immunodeficiency is a state in which the immune system's ability to fight infectious disease is compromised or entirely absent. Immunodeficiency may also decrease cancer immunosurveillance. Most cases of immunodeficiency are acquired but some people are born with defects in their immune system,...
in which the immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
is "present, yet non-functional" - as if all the immune cells have forgotten what to do. The hero decides to take matters into her own hands, and allies herself with a team of scientists to create a nanobot with the abilities to teach cells how to fight bacterial and viral infections.
The player assumes the role of a pilot remote-controlling the nanobot Explorer. With the help of advisors, the player must learn about the different cells and environments in the human body
Human body
The human body is the entire structure of a human organism, and consists of a head, neck, torso, two arms and two legs.By the time the human reaches adulthood, the body consists of close to 100 trillion cells, the basic unit of life...
in order to determine how to train the immune system. Visual and audio clues in the game provide the information needed to accomplish this goal.
Each subsequent level of Immune Attack features a different infection, and a different cell type the player must train. Cells trained on previous levels are available for deployment as well, allowing the user to make use of a wide range of agents to accomplish their mission.