Researchers at the University of Queensland have used a concept fostered through video games to learn more about the behaviors of molecules in brain cells.
Dr. Tristan Wallis and Professor Frédéric Meunier say the original idea came from COVID-19 gambling closures.
Taking inspiration from video games that involve combat, such as Call of Duty, Wallis describes those games using complex and highly accurate algorithms to track the trail of bullets as they move and come into contact with enemies.
“We have the idea that a similar set of rules can be used to analyze tracked molecules moving through a brain cell,” Wallis said.
So, with the progression of a new set of rules that not only tracks how brain cells cluster in space, but also how, when, where and for how long they move in a specific time era, Wallis added that researchers will now be to see “order in chaos. “
“This gives us new insights into how molecules carry out indispensable functions in brain cells and how those functions can disrupt aging and disease,” Wallis added.
The university says Wallis’ set of rules is now being used in several labs that analyze the brain’s mobile activity. Analyzing brain mobiles can have an “exponential” impact.
“This brings us to a new frontier in neuroscience,” Meunier said.
I love video games, man, this studio is great, and Wallis, Meunier and the other students involved are very proud of it.
More information on video game studies can be found at the University of Queensland or Nature Communications.