Malaria Invasion™
Malaria Invasion™ Summary
Malaria Invasion™ is a mobile iOS app in Education by Drexel University. Released in Oct 2018 (7 years ago). It has 5.00 ratings with a 5.00★ (excellent) average. Based on AppGoblin estimates, it reaches roughly 9.00 monthly active users . Store metadata: updated Oct 4, 2022.
Store info: Last updated on App Store on Oct 4, 2022 .
5★
Ratings: 5.00
Screenshots
App Description
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @Drexel_IMMID, #IMMID, #MalariaInvasion
Visit our website: drexel.edu/medicine/immid-cbpd
Purpose:
Malaria Invasion is the second in a series of educational mobile games developed by the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease at Drexel University College of Medicine, to introduce players to the dynamic world of infectious disease. The first mobile game was CD4 Hunter™. These games are primarily intended for use as a learning tool to supplement the biomedical science curriculum in higher education, by intersecting science with engaging game mechanics.
Game Features:
Malaria Invasion is a 3-level game in which players take the role of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium in the blood-stage of infection. Specifically, players play as a Plasmodium merozoite that arose in the bloodstream of an individual that had been bitten by an infected mosquito.
By intersecting real science, with attractive visuals and animations, and simple gameplay, each game level teaches players about essential aspects of the complex mechanism by which merozoites invade RBCs while evading the immune system:
• Level 1, Circulation: The goal is to identify and infect as many RBCs as possible and not be detected by the immune system.
• Level 2, Attachment: The goal is to attach specific proteins produced by the merozoite to their specific receptors on the RBC. The successful protein-receptor binding will increase the intracellular calcium needed to proceed with the invasion process.
• Level 3, Invasion: The goal is to develop the tight junctions necessary to engage the actin-myosin motor and drive the merozoite into the RBC.
Learning Goals:
1. Explain the role of the Plasmodium merozoite in the progression of the blood-stage malaria infection.
2. Identify RBCs and their specific cell-surface receptors as the merozoite targets in the post-hepatic stage of the Plasmodium replication cycle.
3. Identify the key Plasmodium organelles involved in RBC invasion and define the function of essential protein ligands they secrete to facilitate invasion.
4. Explain the role of the essential ligand-receptor pairs in the process of RBC invasion by the Plasmodium
5. Correlate the evasion of the immune system with the progression of the malaria infection during the blood stage of the Plasmodium replication cycle.
6. Identify important me