Researchers Create a Microscopic Game of Pac-Man

Pac-Man is definitely one of the world’s most popular video games, as it has seen adaptations on numerous platforms since its original release in 1980. Now, a team of researchers from Norway’s Institute of Micro and Nano Systems Technology has managed to build a tiny recreation of the original Pac-Man maze, which was then populated with microscopic organisms. To be more specific, the maze is just one-millimeter-wide, and instead of featuring 8-bit graphics and pixelated fruit, it was composed of nanostructures that were lit in a similar way to the awesome arcade classic. A series of single-celled organisms play the role of Pac-Man himself, while the ghosts were replaced with hungry multicellular creatures that are on the hunt for these ciliates.

Obviously, this is not a game that a player can just control, which is why these microorganisms are just moving around the maze on their own. That’s actually a good thing, as it allows researchers to observe the behavioral patterns of the single-cell protozoans and their multi-cellular enemies. The maze definitely doesn’t represent a natural habitat for these tiny creatures, but according to the researchers, its walls and channels are actually closer to real-world conditions when compared to various lab equipment. Have a look at the following video and check out this unique game of Pac-Man yourself!