Join our Citizen Science project and become a genome explorer!
The Genigma project aims to study the genomic alterations in cancer cells. As a start, we will study breast cancer cells obtained from cell cultures in our laboratory. To analyse the differences between healthy and cancerous cells means to scan every inch of the DNA in these cells and compare it with the healty ones. But a machine can do this, can’t it? Yes, but it is not completely reliable. It has been shown that our eyes perform much better than machines in identifying visual patterns. For this very reason, scientists decided to tackle this scientific problem with the help of the citizens.
What are we going to do?
Altogether we will design an application for smartphones that will allow citizens to participate in the common goal to build a reference genome for the cancer cell line. Each player will analyse various small fragments of the cancer cells’ DNA, that correspond to real data obtained in the lab. The reference genome will be obtained joining together these small fragments that collectively the players have analysed. This concerted effort will help us to understand which parts of the genome may play a crucial role in cancer development.
More information
Please get in touch with Elisabetta Broglio at Centre for Genomic Regulation, CRG, or visit the Genigma website to find out more about the game.
Further reading