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WINSTON-SALEM – Studies show fewer young people are choosing careers in science, math and technology. But thanks to a video game project at Wake Forest University, that may be changing.

Last fall, graduate students and researchers at Wake Forest devised a plan to interest more young people in science-related careers. Wake Forest science adviser and developer Jed Macosko created Cell Craft, an educational video game that teaches students about cells.

Tuesday, school officials got their first look at the game.

“It teaches them how a cell functions like a city,” Macosko said. “Each part of the cell is necessary to keep the cell alive, just like each part of the city: the trash collectors, the power plants, the factories, the economy. All of that keeps a city going. Similarly, you have mitochondria, chloroplasts, nucleus.”

Researchers say students helped with the game's development, and they say the students are also part of the feedback process.

“We were looking at the students' effects, their attitude toward science, their attitude toward computers. And then we also looked at their actual content knowledge gains; did they actually learn?” Wake Forest graduate student and researcher Pete Dunlap said.

They discovered that after 45 minutes of playing, students' overall understanding of cells jumped significantly. In some cases, it doubled.

“Playing the video game, it's a lot more interactive, and you can actually understand kind of what it would e like to be a cell in a way,” eighth grade student Christopher Perez said. “It gives you a better experience.”

The video game will be featured at a National Lab Day celebration at the White House Wednesday. Wake Forest plans to roll the game out to schools across the country by early summer.