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METABLAST:  A SERIOUS GAME TO EXPLORE THE COMPLEXITIES OF STRUCTURAL AND METABOLIC CELL BIOLOGY 

Meta!Blast is a real-time 3D action-adventure game that puts you in the pilot's seat. Shrink down to microscopic size and explore the vivid, dynamic world of a soybean plant cell spinning out of control. Interact with numerous characters, fight off plant pathogens, and discover how important plants are to the survival of the human race. The eukaryotic cell is comprised of a dizzying array of molecules, proteins, and organelles. To understand the nature of these entities and their processes across both time and space can be a daunting task. The goal of Meta!Blast is to provide a medium that lends itself to the comprehension of cell and metabolic biology. Of course, building and populating an accurate 3D representation of a plant cell is no trivial undertaking, which is why the Meta!Blast team spans numerous disciplines. Faculty and students in biology, art, computer science, music, and game design are all equally important in the construction of a compelling and accurate virtual cell game.

Game Engine and Development Framework

IMPLEMENTATION

The Kabala Engine was developed as part of NSF-funded outreach for the creation of Meta!Blast, aiming to bridge the gap between biologists/designers and computer scientists in creating virtual reality (VR) environments. Traditional VR development requires advanced 3D graphics programming and hardware integration, which can hinder non-technical contributors. The Kabala Engine addresses this by enabling non-experts, such as undergraduate development teams, to create real-time 3D VR applications.

It is open-source (LGP License) and consists of two main components:

World Builder

A graphical user interface (GUI) that allows users to create virtual worlds by combining 3D models, images, audio, animations, and designing interactions using any input device. It supports physics, GUI elements, and animation integration, empowering users without programming skills.

World Player

Runs the created virtual worlds and supports viewing on standard PCs or multi-display immersive VR systems, thanks to vrJuggler integration.

The GUI of the World Builder is structured with:

  • Left: scene list with snapshots and names
  • Center: editable scene items
  • Right: viewport with tools for modifying scenes


The engine incorporates several existing technologies:

  • OpenSG: OpenGL scene graph with clustering, multithreading, and VR integration.
  • vrJuggler: Handles VR display and input.
  • Open Dynamics Engine (ODE): Rigid body physics.
  • FMOD: Sound playback.
  • VideoLAN (VLC): Video playback.
  • Lua: Embedded scripting language.


Biochemical Interactions and Gameplay Mechanics

Meta!Blast integrates key biochemical pathways into its gameplay. For instance, within the chloroplast, players can activate the light reactions of photosynthesis, leading to electron excitation and the production of molecular oxygen and ATP. These interactions are grounded in current scientific understanding, providing players with a hands-on experience of cellular metabolism.

Cellular Environment Simulation

Meta!Blast offers a highly detailed reconstruction of plant cell architecture, allowing players to explore key organelles such as chloroplasts, mitochondria, and the endoplasmic reticulum. The game enables users to enter these organelles and directly observe cellular processes, including photosynthesis, ATP production, and protein synthesis, in real time.

To enhance realism, the simulation incorporates dynamic cellular elements: molecules move along realistic pathways, and metabolic states fluctuate in response to the player’s interactions. This combination of structural fidelity and dynamic behavior provides an interactive, hands-on understanding of plant cell biology, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and experiential learning.