Innovative video game brings gene drive technology to life in Africa’s fight against malaria
Innovative video game brings gene drive technology to life in Africa’s fight against malaria
Tags: Gene drive, Stakeholder engagement, Target malariaAfrican Media Agency, Business Ghana, 2025.
Ahead of World Malaria Day, Target Malaria, a not-for-profit research consortium pioneering genetic technologies for malaria control, hosted a live demonstration this month of its educational video game, Target Malaria: The Game. This interactive tool is reshaping how science is communicated by making complex genetic technologies accessible, engaging, and fun. Originally launched at the end of 2024, the educational game places players in the role of a lab technician working on genetically modified mosquitoes — a potential tool for vector control being explored to eliminate malaria in Africa. It introduces players of all ages and backgrounds to the real-world tools and processes of molecular biology through two modules: “Microinjection” and “Transgenic Screening.”
In “Microinjection”, players simulate injecting a DNA solution into mosquito embryos, and in “Transgenic Screening”, players sort fluorescent, genetically modified mosquito larvae. “This isn’t just a game — it’s a capacity-building tool,” says Louise Marston, Senior Research Technician for Target Malaria at the Crisanti Lab, in Imperial College London and who conceived the idea for the game. “We’re demonstrating how a digital experience can bring scientific discovery to life, even in low-connectivity environments.”
