BEYOND THE MICROSCOPE
A microbiological VR Journey
“Shrink down to nanoscale and explore the marvelous machinery of a eukaryotic cell from the inside!”
ABOUT US
After finishing some VR Videos in the field of Science Communication, the team consisting of Claudia Puck and Johann Steinegger decided to take the next big step. - Making a VR Experience interactive!
with the support of our clients, bimm-research.at, we started to transform an existing project from Blender into Unreal Engine.
Since then, we have been on an interesting and challenging journey to create an adventure that is scientifically accurate but also brings joy to the hearts of gamers and future scientists.
KEY FEATURES
The application is playable on Windows in VR mode with compatible VR headsets, or as a standard PC game on a 2D screen.
Control your experience with VR controllers, gamepad, mouse, or keyboard.
You can explore the cell in guided tours, or discover with your drone-like Fungi Rider
At special points of interest there are Voice-Stations that explain the processes you witness just in front of your eyes.
We implemented a controllable cinematic camera actor to enable virtual video shoots within the environment.
The experience is based on the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, while the environment represents generalized eukaryotic cells.
From PDB to UNREAL ENGINE- our Protein Design Workflow
In a Cell environment, Proteins are the main actors and they are everywhere. So we had to find a way to build a lot of them.
We found a workflow that let us use real scientific data from the Protein Data Bank and transfer it with a few steps into a Game Asset.
DEEP SPACE 8K - VR ON THE BIG SCREEN
The Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Austria, provides a unique venue to immerse audiences directly into the experience. This immersion is achieved through their Deep Space 8K, a room with expansive projection areas on the walls and floor. Audiences are equipped with 3D glasses, similar to those used in cinemas, allowing them to experience the show from within.
Deep Space Experience: Kleine Riesen: Mikroben und ihre Macht über das Leben
Fr 25. Apr 2025 18:00 – 19:00
Deep Space 8K
We have the opportunity to present our work at the Ars Electronica Center from late April to early May.
OUR NEXT PROJECT GOALS
After our completed Production Phase, which includes the Cell Environment itself, and the ability for Players to explore and drive around, we are heading to the next phase, mainly to fill the experience with engaging content, such as Biological Animations, Audio Content and interactive elements like Mini Games.
Biological Animations
A living cell is not only highly dense but also an extremely dynamic environment. This implies that the entire cellular milieu is in constant motion, occurring on millisecond timescales. Incorporating this dynamic aspect of cellular life into our project will necessitate significant refinement of our existing systems, as well as ensuring their operational independence.
Creating Content
We have an existing system of guided tours and audio stations within our cell environment. Our current task is to develop engaging content for these systems. This will require collaboration with scientists to create compelling narratives and educational content tailored to diverse audiences.
In addition to explaining the cell environment, we aim to explore:
The history of microbiological research
The methodology of scientific research
The production of antibiotics by fungi during their competition with bacteria for resources
And other related topics.
For us as creators, this endeavor will necessitate significant learning in these fields. Furthermore, we will need to adapt our systems and generate innovative approaches to integrate these complex processes into our experience.
Mini Games
One of the best things about our interactive environment is that people can play! Especially using VR controllers will strongly influence user interaction within the virtual space, creating a significant impact. Aligned with the scientific content, we plan to develop mini-games to emphasize the principle of 'learning through play.' Since our project will be used in lectures and events, we believe the play element will be a big hit with our audiences—and not just for young people.
COMMUNITY SHARING
Because we've built this project on the work of other creators and scientists, we really want to give back. So, we're planning to share parts of the work on www.fab.com and www.github.com , maybe we can build a community around the project to connect people around the topic of using Unreal Engine for Microbiology. We're also excited to see what others create.
