World-leading animated 3D movie dives deep into the human body

Monday, July 3rd 2006

A uniquely accurate 3D virtual reality movie about the innermost workings of the human body was launched at the Melbourne Museum today by the Victorian Minister for Innovation, the Hon. John Brumby.

The movie’s creator, Emmy and BAFTA Award winning biomedical animator Drew Berry from The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, said the movie is “a visual bungee jump into human biology.” The movie, Dive into Diabetes Science, takes the viewer into a hitherto invisible micro world: a finger prick of blood leads to a virtual voyage deep into the body, where we observe the role of healthy pancreatic cells, DNA and the production of proteins regulating blood glucose levels.

Mr Brumby said, “Working at the frontier of science requires creativity. This movie provides a unique insight into the amazing world of human biology. Nothing like this has ever been seen before.”

The movie will be screened at the Melbourne Museum’s Virtual Room - a visualisation centre that uses 3D imagery to provide insight into a range of complex systems and scientific principles. The movie will tour regional Victoria later this year.

“With Victorian Government funding, WEHI and the Melbourne Museum have helped propel biomedical science education into a new phase with this movie,” said Mr Brumby. “It will do much to improve the genetics literacy of young people whose lives will be profoundly affected by biotechnology.”

The movie concentrates on the role of the pancreas before diabetes sets in. Almost 300 Australians are diagnosed with the disease each day, according to the International Diabetes Institute. An estimated 7.4 per cent of Australians already have diabetes.

The Virtual Room, developed with Victorian Government assistance, has established Museum Victoria and its project partners as world leaders in the development of educational visualisation.

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Further information:

Mr. Brad Allan

WEHI Communications Manager
Phone: (03) 9345 2345
Mobile: 0403 036 116
Email: allan@wehi.edu.au

About Drew Berry: Drew Berry is one of the world’s foremost animators working in biomedical visualisation. He was born in New York in 1970 and works at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne. Berry gained a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne. He went on to receive a Master of Science for his work in studying human cells using time-lapse microscopy. Over the past nine years, he has developed innovative techniques for visualising and presenting the frontiers of scientific discovery for documentaries, museums, news and current affairs programs, videos, multi-media and the Web. Drew’s work is renowned on a global level and he is a key member of the team that received an Emmy Award and a BAFTA Award for the internationally acclaimed multimedia series, DNA. His work has been featured in major media programs screened throughout the United States, Europe, South East Asia and Australia.

The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) is located in Parkville, just north of Melbourne’s CBD. WEHI is one of the world’s leading medical research centres, hosting over 600 research and support staff. Discoveries made at WEHI, particularly concerning cancer treatment, have benefited millions of people around the globe. WEHI embraces opportunities to engage with local and international communities to enhance science education in the broad public domain.

Museum Victoria (MV), founded in 1854, is Australia’s largest public museum organization. As the State museum for Victoria, it is responsible for looking after the State’s collections; conducting research; and is a multi-campus educational and cultural institution, providing science and cultural programs for the people of Victoria and interstate and overseas visitors. The Virtual Room is an immersive environment that is particularly suited to true 3D scientific visualisation. It is composed of eight large screens set in a crown formation. Recent Museum evaluation indicated that the Virtual Room is one of the most popular exhibits with all sectors of the Museum-going public.