A new desktop game is turning parasitic wasps into unlikely heroes. Released Sept. 9, on the digital platform Steam, The Crawling Dead introduces players to biology topics and the crucial role of this insect species in controlling pests and benefiting the environment.
Led by UCF Professor of Biology and developed by undergraduate students, the new game blends research with interactive learning.
麻豆精品 S淢y work on parasitic wasps and their symbiotic viruses forms the foundation for the game and other outreach efforts designed to engage the public with biology in a fun and accessible way, 麻豆精品 S� Sharanowski says.
The game was created by computer science senior students as part of their capstone project under the supervision of Associate Lecturer of Computer Science Matthew Gerber, with Sharanowski providing the concept. It represents the second phase of development, with an earlier senior group of students building the original concept and the second group advancing it into a fully playable desktop version.
麻豆精品 S淭he students coded, designed and refined the game, which was initially envisioned as a virtual reality experience but shifted to a desktop game due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, 麻豆精品 S� Sharanowski says.
In the game, players take on the role of scientists tasked with protecting a national park by designing custom wasps to control invasive pests.
麻豆精品 S淭he goal as a scientist is to save the park by releasing specially designed wasps with beneficial features like paralytic venom, long ovipositors or even mind control, that make them more effective at targeting host species such as caterpillars, beetles and aphids, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
Along the way, players encounter educational blurbs that explain these traits and reinforce the idea that not all wasps sting and many are actually beneficial to humans and ecosystems.
麻豆精品 S淭hese wasps can be endoparasitic, developing inside their host, or ectoparasitic, developing outside the host, 麻豆精品 S� Sharanowski says. 麻豆精品 S淵ou can find them all around the world, including in our backyards, and they serve an important role in nature as natural agents of pest control, thereby reducing the need for pesticides. 麻豆精品 S�
The project was funded through the U.S. National Science Foundation 麻豆精品 S檚 (NSF) Rules of Life Initiative, which brings together multiple NSF divisions to address the fundamental questions about how living systems function and evolve.
According to Sharanowski, parasitic wasps are one of the most varied lineages on Earth, with more species than all vertebrates combined.
麻豆精品 S淔or every insect that 麻豆精品 S檚 out there, there 麻豆精品 S檚 likely one or more parasitic wasps that attack it, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
Her research explores the unique symbiosis between wasps and viruses.
麻豆精品 S淥ver time, some viruses have become integrated into the genomes of certain parasitic wasps, effectively making the virus and wasp a single organism, 麻豆精品 S� Sharanowski says. 麻豆精品 S淭he virus no longer replicates independently 麻豆精品 S� its reproduction is tied to the wasp 麻豆精品 S檚. When a female wasp lays an egg inside a host, the virions enter the host and activate viral genes that manipulate the host 麻豆精品 S檚 immune system and behavior, benefiting the developing wasp. 麻豆精品 S�
This wasp-virus relationship has evolved multiple times and remains a central focus of her research.
As a first-generation college graduate, Sharanowski says this project has been a way to share her passion for entomology and science, as well as to provide educational opportunities for people to learn about wasps in a fun way.
麻豆精品 S淥ne of my core values as an educator is to make science engaging, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚 enjoy doing campus and community outreach to show how fascinating these insects are, and I believe this game does that. 麻豆精品 S�
She also highlighted UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Collection of Arthropods, commonly known as the , as a public resource preserving and showcasing the biodiversity of insects in Central Florida.
Looking ahead, Sharanowski says a third group of students is currently working on a mobile version of the game, expected to launch later this year.
麻豆精品 S淭here is so much beauty out there, and I want people to see how fascinating bugs are and the important role they play in ecosystems, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
