Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Precision Health Institute (QPHI), a national center for research and implementation under Qatar Foundation (QF), has announced a strategic partnership with Qatar National Library (QNL) to make its specialized educational materials for the Genome Heroes collection available through Manara – Qatar Research Repository, the Library’s open-access digital platform.
The initiative aims to give access to genetics and precision medicine education, targeting young learners aged 6–14. By making these premium learning resources open-access via the Manara Repository, QPHI and QNL are enabling students, teachers, parents, and researchers anywhere in the world to download, utilize, and share the content freely.
Bridging the Genomics Knowledge Gap
Genome Heroes was originally launched as an interactive mobile educational game application to simplify the fundamentals of genomics for children. Developed by QPHI's genomics education experts, and tested by students at Qatar Academy, a Qatar Foundation school, the ecosystem has evolved into a comprehensive teaching toolkit.
The newly published open-access materials include:
Bilingual Educational Magazines: Genome Heroes Magazine available in both Arabic and English. The magazines have short stories that simplify how genome science applies to our daily life, alongside interactive games that introduce foundational terminology.
Animated Genome Heroes Educational Episodes: A series of short animated videos produced in Arabic and English that simplify complex genetic concepts through the adventures of the educational game’s characters Dana, Hamad, and the Professor.
Education and Training Manager at QPHI Dima Darwish, commented: "Our mission at QPHI extends beyond the laboratory; we are committed to nurturing the next generation of scientists who will lead the future of precision medicine. Partnering with Qatar National Library allows us to transcend geographical boundaries. It transforms our localized success into a permanent, global public good where anyone, anywhere, can access this foundational knowledge."
By hosting these files on QNL’s Manara, the materials receive permanent digital object identifiers (DOIs), ensuring they are easily discoverable, citable, and preserved for global academic and public use. This move aligns with the Qatar National Vision 2030 to transition toward a robust, knowledge-based economy driven by innovation and research.
The educational assets are live and can be downloaded directly by visiting the Manara - QPHI Research Repository Portal. Additionally, the corresponding mobile game remains available globally in both English and Arabic on the Apple Store and Google Play.
