Swedish scientists have made a groundbreaking advancement in the field of bio-computing, creating the world’s first “living computer” using human brain tissue. This revolutionary development promises to significantly reduce energy consumption in computational processes, potentially solving the world’s energy crisis.
Human Brain Tissue as a Computing Powerhouse
The innovative bio-computer, developed by FinalSpark, a pioneering company in biological neural networks, consists of 16 organoids—clusters of brain cells grown in a lab. These organoids communicate by sending and receiving signals through neurons, functioning similarly to traditional computer chips but with far greater energy efficiency. Living neurons can use over a million times less energy than current digital processors, marking a significant leap towards sustainable computing solutions.
“One of the biggest advantages of biological computing is that neurons compute information with much less energy than digital computers,” FinalSpark scientist and strategic advisor Ewelina Kurtys wrote in a company blog post earlier this month. “It is estimated that living neurons can use over 1 million times less energy than the current digital processors we use.”
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Compared to top-tier supercomputers like the Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Frontier, the human brain operates with unmatched efficiency. At comparable speeds and with 1,000 times more memory, the human brain uses only 10 to 20 watts of power, whereas a supercomputer demands 21 megawatts. This disparity underscores the potential of bio-computing to revolutionize data processing, offering a greener alternative to conventional methods.
The Science Behind the Innovation
Organoids, the building blocks of this living computer, are tiny, self-organizing three-dimensional tissue cultures derived from stem cells. These cultures can replicate much of an organ’s complexity or produce specific cell types. At FinalSpark, scientists cultivate stem cells for about a month until they form neuron-like structures. Each mini-brain is constructed from approximately 10,000 living neurons, each about 0.5mm in diameter.
Training the Living Computer
To enable these organoids to function like a computer, they are trained using doses of dopamine. This neurotransmitter acts as a reward mechanism: when the organoids perform tasks correctly, they receive a stream of dopamine. This process is akin to how the human brain rewards itself, fostering learning and adaptation.
The organoids are interfaced with eight electrodes that measure their activity and can send currents to influence neuronal behaviour. These electrodes serve a dual purpose: stimulating the organoids and recording the data they process. The organoids are housed in a microfluidic incubator that maintains an optimal environment, providing necessary nutrients and keeping them at body temperature.
The development of the living computer comes at a crucial time as the world faces an escalating energy crisis driven by fuel shortages, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and the shift to renewable energy sources. With AI predicted to consume 29.3 terawatt-hours per year, the need for energy-efficient computing solutions is more pressing than ever.
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FinalSpark’s living computer is not just a technological marvel but also a platform for global scientific collaboration. Researchers worldwide can now conduct experiments on biological neurons in vitro through this online platform. More than three dozen universities have already shown interest in utilizing this innovative technology.
Dr Fred Jordan, co-CEO of FinalSpark, describes the living computer as ‘wetware’—a term that bridges the gap between hardware and software. Unlike conventional computers where software runs on static hardware, the living computer’s hardware (neurons) changes physically to form new synaptic connections, akin to the learning process in human brains.
The cells in the living computer have a lifespan of about 100 days, after which new organoids are cultivated to replace the old ones. While this is shorter than the lifespan of neurons in the human brain, which can last up to 80 years, it marks a significant step forward in bio-computing.
FinalSpark continues to explore the potential of this technology, with future applications extending beyond energy-efficient computing to new understandings of the human brain, potentially leading to breakthroughs in treating neurological diseases.
