“The Malaria Lifecycle” by The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Conference:
Title:
- The Malaria Lifecycle
Director(s):
Company / Institution / Agency:
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Description:
An accurate visualization of the complete malaria life-cycle. The content is derived from scientific datasets, microscopy, and published literature on the parasite’s biology. Everything presented is accurate in scale, structure, and dynamic behavior of mosquito, parasites, and human cells.
The visualization is in two four-minute sequences. The first reconstructs infection of a human child via mosquito bite, and the parasite’s invasion of tissues, including the liver and blood. The visualization is the first of its kind to present live-behavior models, including the mosquito’s bite technique, the parasite’s invasion method, and patterns of blood flow.
The second sequence visualizes the parasite’s infection inside a pregnant female mosquito. The camera follows the parasite as it has sex inside the mosquito’s stomach, then invades her salivary glands.
Over 10% of the human population is debilitated by malaria. Particularly vulnerable to the disease are pregnant women and children under the age of five, who account for many of the two million deaths each year. This visualization was designed to raise awareness and understanding by contributing to TV news, documentary, and science programs; museum and science-center exhibitions; and free downloads for public education.
Hardware:
Intel Mac Pro
Software:
Maya, After Effects
Additional Contributors:
Director: Drew Berry
Animation: Drew Berry
Sound Design: Lachlan Carrick, Françios Tétaz
Acknowledgement: Created with the support of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
