Researchers have set up a microscopic version of the popular Pac-Man game to study the behavior and the hunting habits of single-celled organisms.
According to The Verge, scientists at the University College of Southeast Norway have designed an experiment fearing microscopic hunters and prey involved in the smallest Pac-Man game ever. The maze aims to accurately reflect real-life hunting conditions of the single-celled organisms.
The Norwegian scientists explained their set-up on a blog post. According to them, the research team has designed a 3D Pac-Man maze in order to study the behavior of the unicellular organisms.
The labyrinth has been made up of tiny channels filled with "nutritious liquid." In these passageways are swimming ciliates and single-celled euglena that are taking the role of Pac-Man. The carnivorous ghosts are represented by larger, multi-cellular rotifers.
According to Science World Report, the purpose of the experiment is to know how an euglena single-celled organism playing the role of the Pac-Man reacts when faced with a life-or-death situation against rotifers multicellular organisms playing the role of the Ghost. The filmmaker Adam Bartley helped the researchers with the video recording of the experiment.
By reconstructing a classic '80s game with microorganisms, the Norwegian scientists have intended to raise awareness of their research. However, the experiment has also a practical benefit, because the maze has much in common with the environments in which such organisms usually hunt, allowing for the observation of life-like behaviors.
The research team led by Professor Erik Andrew Johannessen of the Institute of Micro and Nano System Technology had access to a better view of the unicellular euglena, since the maze forms a 3D environment.
The tiny canals built inside the Pac-Man maze resemble the structures these organisms navigate to in the wild. This way, the scientists could observe how the single-celled organisms avoid their predators in a small area.
According to Gizmodo, the "Microscopic Pac-Man" project could also be seen as a move by the researchers to better communicate with the public.
