Saving Alex: A Race Through Bioscience and Ethics

Your friend Alex was poisoned! You are the one who can help identifying the best treatment option. You will follow clues, interpret evidence, solve puzzles, and navigate ethical dilemmas. As the story unfolds, you will encounter questions that connect the environment, genetics, and human biology, thus helping you understand how these factors influence health and disease.

This digital educational escape room module was originally designed for an international summer school in biomedicine. It is now available for everyone who enjoys problem-solving, critical thinking, and learning through play.

The escape room was created through the BalticSeaBioMed network and supported by the Nordplus Higher Education Programme (2023–2026).

Start the Escape Room For Teachers

Intended Learning Outcomes

After completing the escape room, the student can…

Identify relationships between the environment and human health

Apply previous knowledge about basic molecular biology and genetics

Analyze various contextual scenarios, extract relevant data, and make informed decisions

Reflect on ethical considerations, including sensitive personal information

If working in teams, collaborate to solve scientific challenges

How to Play

Please follow the instructions below. The following link leads to the escape room:

Open the Escape Room

  1. Open the escape room via the link and press play.

    Screenshot: the ESCAPP platform with the list of escape rooms, with an arrow pointing to the card for Saving Alex

  2. Add your name or a nickname in the alias field and press play. Don't forget to tick the box for accepting the terms and conditions.

    Screenshot: the alias prompt for Saving Alex, with an arrow pointing to the alias field and the play button

  3. Click yes and afterward add the passcode 26 into the passcode field.

    Screenshot: the access passcode prompt for Saving Alex, with arrows pointing to the passcode field and the yes button

  4. Press start. You now have 45 minutes to SAVE ALEX. Good luck!

    Screenshot: the starting page of the escape room, showing the description and the start button

What is the purpose of the simulation?

More than just a game

Connect the Dots

Move beyond isolated facts to see how molecular biology, genetics, and environmental health interact in real-world scenarios.

Play to Learn

Apply your knowledge and abstract concepts in a dynamic, low-stakes, playful setting. It’s a safe space to apply theory to practice where trial-and-error is part of the fun.

Alex lying in a hospital bed

Real-World Simulation

You aren’t just solving riddles or puzzles. You’re practising the critical thinking and ethical judgment required in actual scientific careers.

Troubleshooting and Support

Acknowledgments

The escape room was created through the BalticSeaBioMed network and supported by the Nordplus Higher Education Programme (2023–2026).

Funders

Nordplus Erasmus+ (funded by the EU)

Partner Universities

University of Eastern Finland Karolinska Institutet University of Southern Denmark University of Turku Vilnius University Åbo Akademi University