Stem cell stories

The Scottish Stem Cell Network wanted to tell more people about the new area of stem cell therapy. There's a lot of research going on in Scotland in this field and the possibilities are very exciting. But how do you make the link between the complex cell biology and real medicine? We created two characters, 'Molly' and 'Jim', and tell their 'Stem cell stories' which explain how different types of stem cells could be used to cure some common medical conditions. There's a lot of interest in the exhibit and its going be installed in the Dundee Science Centre, The Glasgow Science centre and various science fairs. Thanks to Bivouac for lovely drawings of Molly, Jim and everything else.

Stem cell dilemma

The Scottish Stem Cell Network were also keen to warn people about unscrupulous clinics who offer untested or unsafe stem cell therapies. Stem cell therapies offer great hope for the future but the technology isn't quite ready yet. However, there are a lot of clinic web sites offering 'miracle' cures. We created a simple clear exhibit which helps potential patients tell dodgy sites from legitimate clinics. There's a lot of interest in the exhibit and its going be installed in the Dundee Science Centre, The Glasgow Science centre and various science fairs. Thanks to Bivouac for the graphics.

Gene therapy challenge

The Science Museum in London asked us to create an exhibit on the complex topic of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis. To make things more difficult gene therapy isn't yet possible. Inspired by spy dramas such as Spooks we created a sophisticated exhibit which uses short games to explain the gene therapy process. The gallery version is controlled by a real physical 'Big knob' to give visitors a direct feeling of control. Thanks to Rose Tomlinson and James Bates for making it look great.

Patient of the future

The Science Museum in London wanted to explore how we'll be using genetic tests in the future. Is it fair to deny sick people a drug just because they have the wrong genes? It's a complex topic and one that could easily have become dry and abstract. We kept the exhibit direct and simple by controlling it with just two buttons labelled 'Yes' and 'No'. We also created a whole cast of weird and wonderful patients who show that even technology is different in the future, people are going to be pretty much the same. Thanks to Rose Tomlinson and James Bates for making it look great.

Extinct!

Professor Ottoline Leyser from the University of York wanted more people to understand the strategies that plants use to maximise their chances of survival. So we created a "sim city" type game which lets you take the role of a wild or farmed plant. Can you avoid getting eaten by pests, attract bees to pollinate your flowers and make enough seeds to ensure your chances of survival?

Thanks to the BBSRC for funding support.

Find out more about the future of science

The Centre for Life had a lot of future science they wanted to put into their gallery without covering the walls with text panels. We created three different exhibits on the subjects of Climate change, Ageing and Stem cells.
Each exhibit contains a vast amount of information to keep the fact hungry happy, lots of gorgeous photos and there's even a quiz to draw in the less enthusiastic. The exhibits are constructed so that it is easy for the centre staff to update the content if the science changes. Thanks to Bivouac for the graphic design.

The food game

The food game was created for the Newcastle Centre for Life. Players have to move around three different countries to try and find enough to eat. Although fast paced and fun the game also contains a lot of information about the food people eat in different countries. For this exhibit I worked with Bivouac for the design and Dilski for the illustration.

Science news quiz

The Centre for Life were looking for an exhibit to display the latest science news feeds from the internet. The problem is this isn't really new any more. My local Sainsbury's has a newsfeed display and so do some of the bus stops here in York. Nobody takes any notice of them. So we came up wiing in science than they ever expected. As usual, thanks to Bivouac for the "read all about it" graphics.

Multiplayer space game

Spaceport is a new attraction which opened on the Wirral waterfront in 2005. We created an exhibit for up to four players based around a huge projection onto a table. The exhibit features a quiz on the Milky Way and then an exciting race round the galaxy.