C4 Stands Up To Cancer with mobile game

1 October 2014

The human eye is a powerful tool and in this case your eagle-eyesight could help scientists fight cancer - Reverse The Odds is a unique game commissioned by Channel 4 for Stand Up To Cancer, a joint national fundraising campaign from C4 and Cancer Research UK, where users will analyse images of real cancer cells to aid researchers extract vital information.

This game, available now, is completely free to download across iOS, Android, Amazon phones and tablets. Players will progress through different levels by answering questions around how bright the cells are or how many particular types of cell are present.

In the game, players are on a mission to use their cell evaluation to revitalise tiny creatures called “The Odds”. The game’s story tells of a girl who lives in a magical world populated by these creatures who become grey and lifeless when she becomes tired. Players must conquer each level and restore the world from a washed-out wasteland to an amazing colourful wonderland.

Data taken from the game will be used by Cancer Research UK and fed back to research teams to understand cancer and find new ways to beat cancer sooner. Individuals don’t need to worry about getting their analysis wrong however - as a crowd-sourcing application, the accuracy of the results comes from lots of people looking at each sample and no-one's diagnosis or treatment can be affected by anyone’s actions.

Colin McDonald, Games Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, said: "It's great to see an increasing number of "games for good" that support and aid a wide variety of issues, but the opportunity to let individual players make such a direct and positive impact on cancer studies whilst still having fun is absolutely incredible - I hope to be seeing more people contributing to cancer research then merely "killing time" on their commutes from now on!"

Hannah Keartland, Citizen Science Lead at Cancer Research UK , said: “We’re thrilled to have worked with Channel 4 to produce a truly unique puzzle game that’s not only great fun to play, but also allows gamers to make a direct impact on research to beat cancer sooner. With colossal amounts of data being produced by our scientists’ research, getting through the data can take years, especially as some can only be analysed by the human eye. That’s why we’re always looking at innovative ways to get the public involved in this critical process.

“Now, Reverse The Odds gives anyone the chance to help our scientists get through this data via their mobile devices. So no matter where you are, your gaming moment could start having a real impact.”                                                                                       

Reverse The Odds is purely for research purposes and not for any clinical purpose. The game was developed in collaboration with Maverick Television’s Multiplatform team, Chunk and Cancer Research UK. http://www.channel4.com/reversetheodds

This October 17th, a host of stars from television, music and film will come together for Stand Up To Cancer, an epic night of fundraising hosted by Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Dr Christian Jessen on Channel 4. Join us in showing cancer - it’s payback time. www.standuptocancer.org.uk

For more information on SU2C

http://www.channel4.com/standuptocancer

Direct link

http://www.channel4.com/reversetheodds

Download links:

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/id915440727?mt=8

GP: http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.channel4.hardcell

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mas/dl/android?p=com.channel4.hardcell

About Stand Up To Cancer (UK)

Stand Up To Cancer is a joint national fundraising event from Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK

• Final 2012 total raised was £8,011,722.62
• In 2012, the live fundraising event was hosted by Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Dr Christian Jessen and featured celebrity interviews and real life stories
• Stars such as Gwyneth Paltrow , Samuel L Jackson, Bradley Cooper, Leona Lewis, Cheryl Cole, Keith Lemon, Heidi Klum, Jeremy Piven, Heston Blumenthal, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, Alesha Dixon, Ashley Walters, Russell Tovey, Bear Grylls, Jack Whitehall, Tom Felton, Warwick Davis, Jimmy Carr, Derren Brown, Martin Freeman, Dawn Porter, Micky Flanagan, Stephen Graham, Max Beesley and Jonathan Ross are just some of the talent who supported Stand Up To Cancer
• Visit Standuptocancer.org.uk or channel4.co.uk/SU2C for further information

About Stand Up To Cancer (U.S. programme and show)

• SU2C is a programme of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organisation, and utilises the assets of this industry to engage the public in unique ways
• In 2008, SU2C launched its first national fundraising telecast in the USA on 3 major networks—the first ever non-emergency fundraiser to be simultaneously broadcast across several major networks, which has become a biennial event
• Over $260m was pledged to SU2C for collaborative cancer research in connection with the first three SU2C telecasts, in 2008, 2010, and 2012
• In 2014, for the first time, a Canadian-inclusive co-broadcast of the SU2C fundraising special aired on four major English-language networks and several other broadcast and cable services in Canada
• More than USD $109m has been pledged so far in the USA and Canada in connection with the 2014 telecast
• The American show is a 60-minute fundraising special bringing together music, movies, TV, live music performances, comedy and live science
• Stars such as Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, George Clooney, Leona Lewis, Julia Roberts, Will Smith, Beyoncé, Jennifer Aniston, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Rob Lowe, Scarlett Johansson, Kelly Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Neil Diamond, Delta Goodrem, Kris Kristofferson, Dave Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Robert Pattinson, Renée Zellweger, Vanessa Hudgens and Kareem Abdul Jabbar are just some of the talent who supported Stand Up To Cancer

About Cancer Research UK

• Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research.
• Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.
• Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated.
• Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years.
• Today, 2 in 4 people survive cancer. Cancer Research UK’s ambition is to accelerate progress so that 3 in 4 people will survive cancer within the next 20 years.
• Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.
• Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About Citizen Science at Cancer Research UK:

• Reverse The Odds is Cancer Research UK’s third citizen science project, which uses the power of the crowd to break through data bottle necks scientists face in order to accelerate our progress in cancer research
• Previous projects from the award winning programme include: Cell Slider (cellslider.net) and Play to Cure: Genes in Space (genes-in-space.org.uk) which have analysed data six times faster than scientists
• The projects have attracted over 500,000 people from almost every country in the world
• Reverse The Odds has also been supported by Zooniverse.org, a platform which has allowed more than a million volunteers to participate in science.