How Target Malaria is using video games to bring awareness to malaria

Ahead of World Mosquito Day on 20 August, Louise Marston, a Senior Research Technician in Imperial’s Crisanti Lab, explains how Target Malaria is opening up the world of malaria research and giving people a closer look at the science behind its gene drive technology through its interactive video game.Louise Rankin

The mosquito is the world’s deadliest animal. Africa is home to more than 600 of the world’s 3,500+ mosquito species, a staggering diversity that has major implications for public health across the continent. Climate change, travel, trade can influence the spread of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. According to the World Mosquito Program and the World Health Organization, roughly 390 million people are infected each year with dengue, 282 million people infected with malaria, and hundreds of thousands more are affected by Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

At the Great Exhibition Road Festival, we asked the public how many mosquito species they thought existed. The answers varied widely, highlighting just how little many of us actually know about these familiar insects. Most people see mosquitoes as the tiny pests responsible for itchy bites and, in some cases, for transmitting diseases. We rarely think about them as anything more than a nuisance, let alone consider their impact or purpose in the world or why scientists dedicate their careers to studying them. Few people ever stop to think about the laboratories where scientists spend years studying them.

I work as a Senior Research Technician in the Crisanti Lab at Imperial College London and am part of the international research consortium, Target Malaria. My research focuses on spermatogenesis (the process of sperm development) and embryo sex determination in malaria mosquitoes, helping us understand how mosquitoes reproduce and develop as male or female. I also contribute to the development of new gene drive technologies.

Target Malaria is investigating the potential of gene drive technology to help reduce malaria transmission in Africa, by suppressing populations of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes. Gene drive is a naturally occurring genetic phenomenon that biases inheritance, allowing a selected trait to spread through a population more rapidly than it would through normal sexual reproduction. 

Our work involves genetically modifying mosquitoes by using gene drive technology to better understand their biology and the mechanisms behind malaria transmission. This research can also support the development of highly targeted, species-specific approaches that could complement existing efforts to eliminate malaria. 

To create these modifications, scientists design and build genetic material, known as “constructs”, in the laboratory. These constructs must then be carefully delivered into mosquito embryos, a process known as microinjection. Once the mosquitoes develop, we can study the effects of the genetic changes and evaluate their potential applications. 

The mosquito: a familiar and mysterious neighbour 

Behind secure laboratory doors, mosquitoes are carefully studied to help us better understand one of Africa’s greatest public health challenges – malaria. 

While significant progress has been made in the fight against the disease, malaria remains a major global health threat. In 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths globally. The WHO African Region continues to carry the greatest burden, accounting for around 95% of malaria deaths worldwide, with most fatalities occurring among children under the age of five. Eleven countries alone account for approximately two-thirds of all global malaria cases and deaths. 

Target Malaria: The Game 

To help open up the world of malaria research and give people a closer look at the science behind it, Target Malaria has developed an interactive video game experience that places players in the role of a laboratory researcher. Through the game, users can explore the process of developing genetically modified mosquitoes designed to help combat malaria in Africa. 

 The game was conceived by me along with the Communications team as an innovative way to share Target Malaria’s work with a wider audience. Designed to recreate key aspects of laboratory research, the experience provides an accessible overview of how genetically modified mosquitoes are developed, without the need for live mosquito specimens or specialist laboratory equipment such as high-powered microscopes. Adding to its authenticity, the virtual laboratory is modelled on the real Crisanti Lab located in the Sir Alexander Fleming Building, giving players a realistic glimpse into the environment where this research takes place. 

Players are able to slip into the lab coat of scientist specialising in molecular biology and the genetic modification of mosquitoes to support the fight against malaria. The game aims to educate and inspire, blending interactive gameplay with gene drive research in the fight against malaria. 

Two modules are available: 

  • Microinjection: This module emulates a microinjector – a complex piece of equipment combining a microscope and injection needle – used for injecting mosquito embryos with a solution that modifies their genes.
  • Transgenic Screening: This module simulates the process of separating genetically modified mosquito larvae from non-modified larvae using a fluorescent microscope, pipette, and petri dish. 

The video game has been showcased at public events such as The Great Exhibition Road Festival and New Scientists Live, as well as at industry gatherings such as Games for Health and the 2025 edition of World Conference of Science Journalists. 

Although we have a long way to go when it comes to our research, we remain hopeful and continue to work alongside partners to help end malaria. World Mosquito Day is 20 August, and every year on this day, we commemorate Sir Ronald Ross’ groundbreaking discovery linking the female Anopheles mosquito to the transmission of malaria. This year we’re doing so by sharing facts about mosquitoes and our work, including the new Gene Drive Video Series.

With this video game, we also hope to inspire careers in the biological control of disease vectors or, at the very least, to rally more (future) scientists to the cause of the fight against malaria 

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