A 3D printed magnetic puzzle game to demonstrate viral infection and virucidal antivirals

Viruses are the most abundant microorganism on the planet, outnumbering all others combined. Viruses can cause significant global problems to both health and the economy. Understanding viral infection life cycles and interventions against viruses have become a global focus, following recent pandemics. Being able to simply explain this complex process to a wide and general audience is of paramount importance. Here we have developed a magnetic puzzle game that through a timed assembly competition excites students and audiences and engages them while they learn about virus infection and antiviral interventions. The ’hands-on’ nature, alongside the competitive aspect, resulted in the activity being well received across a wide range of ages (from pre-school to adults).