CCP have announced in a dev blog that players who engage with Project Discovery can now expect more complex data as the project expands. Since capsuleers have submitted nearly 40 million maps for the flow cytometry and cell population graphs, 466,000 of which have been verified, the research leaders have been effusive with their praise.

“We have been working on Project Discovery for 5 years and it is amazing to see how the EVE player community even after all this time keeps tirelessly participating in research efforts. This contribution is especially important and valuable in these pressing times. Thank you all!” – MMOS CEO and co-founder Attila Szantner.

“The participation and quality of the data produced by the EVE community has been truly amazing and exceeded all our projections. We are thrilled to be able to mine this unique source of wisdom for the immediate benefit of biomedical research” – Jérôme Waldispühl, Associate Professor, School of Computer Science, McGill University.

“EVE Online players are doing an exceptional job. The accuracy of their analyses is very high, which demonstrates the extraordinary attention that is paid to what is actually not just a game but a real fight against COVID. Players from all over the world are proving that collaboration with scientists is absolutely successful and that together we can do a lot, in a very difficult moment in which the uncertainties are much greater than ever.” – Dr. Andrea Cossarizza, Professor of Pathology and Immunology at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia School of Medicine in Italy.

The graphs have been used to help further research into COVID-19, the pandemic which has dramatically altered life for many people in the last six to nine months. Progress in the fight against COVID-19, particularly that fueled by Project Discovery, is covered on the McGill University’s website on the project.

However, CCP and their academic partners want players’ help in continuing to refine the graphs. In particular, CCP have highlighted two kinds of graphs of samples that players can do a better job of segmenting, and their feedback is extensive.

Here’s hoping that the dedicated pilots who take their time out to do the incredible work of Project Discovery are able to adjust their approach and continue to make headway in this critical fight.