Game on for food microbiology ... gamify learning!

Elyse and Vinodi were two of our talented interns that are now both project officers with us. They have developed game concepts focused on food safety, food quality and gut health as part of their internship. Now, they need your support to extend these ideas into playable, educational game prototypes. These will be designed to help students, food industry professionals and the general public understand and apply critical food safety and quality principles as well as improving health through a better understanding of prebiotics, probiotics, fermented foods and gut health - this aspect will be undertaken with Shreya, another intern, now project officer.

Your contribution will enable them to:
✅ Guide prototype development of engaging, scientifically accurate food safety, food quality and gut health nutrition games.
✅ Create interactive experiences that teach proper food handling, storage, and gut health.
✅ Promote awareness of foodborne illnesses and their impact on public health.
✅ Provide fun and effective learning tools for students, consumers and industry professionals.

🎮 By supporting this campaign, you’re funding innovation in food science and nutrition education—because better knowledge means fresher, healthier and safer food for all!**

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Why This Matters
🚨 600 million cases of foodborne gastroenteritis occur globally each year.
✟ 420 000 lives lost across the world each year.
💸 Foodborne illness costs 33 million healthy life years (DALYs) annually.
🤢 Many consumers don’t recognise the risks of unsafe food handling.
📚 Traditional food safety education is often dry and easily forgotten.

🎮 **Games are an engaging way to reinforce critical food safety concepts and improve knowledge retention!

Your donation will allow our driven game creators to turn their innovative ideas into interactive tools that make learning about food safety, food quality and gut health both fun and effective.

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The Game Concepts

🦠 Game #1: Clinical diagnostics
- An interactive patient diagnosis game where players identify foodborne illnesses based on symptoms and meal history.
- Goal: Teach players how pathogens cause illness and why last night’s meal isn’t always the culprit!

🧩 Game #2: Food Safety Crossword Challenge
- A fun and educational crossword puzzle covering food safety topics.
- Goal: Reinforce terminology and concepts for students and food professionals.

🍏 Game #3: Catch the Safe Food!
- Players catch fresh food in a basket and discard spoiled food to earn points.
- Goal: Teach the importance of recognising signs of food spoilage.

🚫 Game #4: The Five-Second Rule Myth
- A fast-paced game where players stop food from hitting the floor** and learn why dropped food should not be eaten.
- Goal: Bust a common food safety myth in an engaging way.

❄️ Game #5: Fridge Sorting Challenge
- Players must correctly store food in the fridge or freezer based on safety guidelines.
- Goal: Teach proper food storage practices to prevent contamination and waste.

🔬 Game #6: Gut Health Defender
- Players balance good and bad microbes in the gut by selecting foods that promote healthy digestion.
- Goal: Highlight the role of probiotics, prebiotics, and a balanced diet in gut health.

🍽️ Game #7: Spot the Kitchen Mistake
- A real-time kitchen safety game where players detect improper food handling.
- Goal: Improve awareness of hygiene practices and cross-contamination risks.

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How Your Contribution Helps

💰 $500 AUD – Covers research materials & software tools for game development.
💰 $1 500 AUD – Supports prototype development of a single game.
💰 $3 000 AUD – Enables refinement and user testing of multiple games.
💰 $5 000+ AUD – Funds full development of multiple educational games plus outreach efforts.

Every small amount donated goes toward bringing these food safety games to life!

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Perks for Backers

🎁 $20 AUD+ – Personalised thank-you email & campaign updates.
🎁 $50 AUD+ – Early access to a prototype game plus supporter credit.
🎁 $100 AUD+ – Exclusive behind-the-scenes development insights.
🎁 $500 AUD+ – Name featured as a supporter in the final game credits.
🎁 $1 000 AUD+ – Invitation to a private Q&A session with the game concept developers.

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Why Support This Project?

✔ Empower young female innovators in science education.
✔ Help create engaging tools that make food safety knowledge accessible.
✔ Contribute to reducing foodborne illness and improving public health.
✔ Bring a fresh approach to teaching critical food safety, food quality and gut health concepts.

📢 Join us in making food safety, food quality and gut health education fun and impactful—support ‘Game On for Food Microbiology’ today!