Biological computer could revolutionise medical sciences

Melbourne startup Cortical Labs has announced the commercial launch of the CL1, a commercial biological computer which fuses lab-cultivated neurons from human stem cells with hard silicon to create a new, more advanced and sustainable form of AI, known as ‘Synthetic Biological Intelligence’ (SBI).

Capable of growing, adapting and learning at a faster rate than purely silicon-based AI and also requiring far less energy consumption, the CL1 will have significant ramifications for the technology industry, where it offers advancements beyond today’s large language models that present exciting new opportunities for autonomy. It could enable researchers to streamline and enhance drug discovery and drug testing, improve personalised medicine, and detect disease earlier.

In 2022, the first cohort of Cortical Labs’ neurons were embedded in a simulated game environment and provided with electrophysiological stimulation and recording that enabled them to learn to play the arcade game ‘Pong’. When given the right stimulus, rewards and feedback, the cultures were shown to exhibit rapid learning and goal-directed behaviour, demonstrating SBI.

Their physical growth is across a silicon chip, which has a set of pins that send electrical impulses into the neural structure and receive impulses back in return. This creates the highest bandwidth connection possible between an organic neural network and a digital world, Cortical Labs claims. At the core of the system is the company’s Biological Intelligence Operating System (biOS), which constructs their reality — sending information via electrical signals and converting the neuron’s activity into actions inside that reality.

“The CL1 is an incredible tool to grow our neurons in a fully controlled environment, allowing us to monitor and modify their electrophysiological features,” said Dr Sandra Acosta from the University of Barcelona. “This is definitely an inflexion point for long-term experiments that avoid the risky and disrupting movements out of the incubator or MEA [microelectrode array] devices to perform the required readouts.”

The CL1 is the culmination of Cortical Labs’ mission to makes its technology accessible to researchers without specialised hardware and software, optimising communication and information processing with in vitro neural cultures. The touchscreen-enabled device features a fully programmable bidirectional stimulation and read interface to enable neural communication and network learning; a single integrated system that provides perpetual embodiment of neural cultures within a custom perfusion life support system; a fully integrated development environment for rapid experimental iteration and applications; and powerful Python API to make dynamic, real-time applications simple.

The product is a contained unit that doesn’t require an external computer to operate; all recordings, applications and life support are on the device. It is available either individually or in racks, which contain 30 units and require only 850–1000 W of energy. It will be available to highly specialised laboratories and facilities with the ability to grow their own cells.

In addition to manufacturing CL1 units, Cortical Labs will also offer Wetware-as-a-Service (WaaS), allowing customers to remotely access and work with cultivated cells via the cloud to build applications. The company’s founder and CEO, Dr Hon Weng Chong, noted, “This platform will enable the millions of researchers, innovators and big thinkers around the world to turn the CL1’s potential into tangible, real-word impact. We’ll provide the platform and support for them to invest in R&D and drive new breakthroughs and research.”