Adopting the form of a video game trailer, Immunecraft is an animation developed in collaboration with immunologist Dr Megan MacLeod. It is part of Silent Signal, a project that brings together six artists and six scientists to create experimental animations for gallery and online exhibition that immerse the viewer in the networked worlds of organic communication.

Immunecraft presents a fictional game which gives users agency over a real life cell culture to compete against opponent players, and explores the parallels between popular gameplay mechanics and some of the most important principles of the human immune system, including cell memory and autoimmunity. Immunecraft should be understood as an instance of design futures, commenting on the principles of multiplayer online gaming in the age of DNA building blocks, printable organic electronics and biohacking, raising questions about bioethics.

The work premiered on Friday 5th of February 2016 at the Silent Signal exhibition at QUAD, Derby. For more background information on the science behind the work, you can explore the science guide.

Silent Signal is produced by Animate Projects with support from the Wellcome Trust.