Welcome to BacToMars

An educational video game that engages elementary-school students in problem-solving through bio-design


What is BacToMars?


Image Gallery

  • The view from inside our laboratory on Mars.

  • This is our team of astronauts and scientists!

  • A first-grader plays the single-player version of BacToMars.

  • Three third-graders play the multi-player version of BacToMars.


Meet the Team


Orit Shaer, PhD

Principal Investigator

Associate Professor, Wellesley College

Marina Bers, PhD

Principal Investigator

Professor, Tufts University

Anna Loparev, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher

Wellesley College

Amanda Sullivan, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher

Tufts University

Amanda Strawhacker

Doctoral Researcher

Tufts University

Lauren Westendorf

Research Programmer

Wellesley College

Clarissa Verish

Research Fellow

Wellesley College

Margaret Flemings

Wellesley College

Jennifer Otiono

Wellesley College

Vivien Chen

Wellesley College

Jasmine Davis

Wellesley College

Parul Koul

Wellesley College