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The VR Game "Bug Off Pain" is based on the idea of using spider venom toxins to make
better painkillers for the future, with virtual reality (VR) being used as an innovative
approach to science communication and public engagement.
Bug Off Pain is an immersive and educational VR experience that places the viewer inside
the brain and shows them first-hand the molecular system in our brains that allows us to
sense pain. The game consists of two parts; first, it teaches you about what you see in the
brain (regarding the different cell functions and the proteins in these cells that are crucial in
pain pharmacology). Then the experience gets even better when the spiders start crawling,
injecting their venom and you can choose, by trial and error, which spider venom is capable
to shut down the pain and which is not. More blocking, more points for you! The experience
ends after you’ve found a perfect venom which blocks one specific protein and results in
"pain over".
The game is to be launched on Halloween weekend, the 27th of October 2017, as one of the
main attractions of Norwich Science Festival. Bug Off Pain will be launched on two different
platforms; high-end Oculus Rift and its cheaper version "Google Cardboard" (QR code)
which allows you to play Bug Off Pain straight from your sofa at home.
We hope you would find our VR game "Bug Off Pain" to be an engaging way of learning
about science and can be used for broader science communication, education and teaching.
Developed by: Lucka Bibic, Justinas Druskis, Samuel Walpole, Jesus Angulo, Leanne Stokes
Project lead: Lucka Bibic
© 2017 University of East Anglia. All Rights Reserved
Lucka is a PhD student at UEA, School of Pharmacy, looking at how spider venom toxins might come in handy when treating chronic pain.
Lucka is a:
She is a firm believer that virtual reality is a game-changer in the science communication, education, teaching, and research.
Justinas has been the go to guy when it came to technology. He is currently studying Computing Science at UEA in the hopes of easing the struggles of day-to-day life.
Justinas enjoys building new things, which is why programming is his outlet. Due to the fast-paced development in technology, Justinas is still unsure of his true interest.
His interests are:
Sam is a PhD student from the School of Pharmacy, UEA. He is interested in the 3D structures of biological systems and how this can help us understand how they work.
His research focuses on the fascinating science of carbohydrates, how they interact and their importance in diseases. Sam has previously been involved in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Spectroscopy in a Suitcase program, which helps bring science teaching to life by bringing real scientific equipment into schools.
He believes that virtual reality is an exciting new tool that will let scientists dive deeper into their research and see things from a new perspective.
