BioInnovation

Department: Computer Science

Group Members: Kelly Freed, Conor Petersen, Emily Rautenberg and Brian Ridings

Client: Prof. Philip Leopold

Advisor: Prof. David Klappholz

Project Description: The goal of this project is to create a program to model the viral infection of a cell under several conditions. The users control the speed at which viruses move through the steps of infection, the path it takes, and specific attributes of the cell in a simulation that follows the laws of cell biology. Previous in lab experiments constrained scientists view to two dimensions as seen through a microscope. This project allows users to see a realistic three dimensional animation of what is happening within the cell and even provides details about each virus throughout the infection. The software can be used for both educational purposes as well as testing theoretical models. By comparing different infection paths against in‐lab experiments, scientists can shed light on how viruses infect a cell, which can eventually help with advancement in disease research.