Various companies and research teams are working on the development of biocomputers using living cells, specifically brain cells. Some of the main ones are:
FinalSpark
This Swiss startup focuses on creating biocomputers using human brain organoids. These organoids consist of approximately 10,000 living neurons, cultivated from stem cells. FinalSpark has developed a platform called Neuroplatform that allows users to interact with these biocomputers through Python-based software. These organoids are maintained in optimal conditions for their survival and are integrated with silicon chips to enable bidirectional communication [Source] [Source]
Cortical Labs
This company has demonstrated that it is possible to use brain cell cultures to perform computational tasks. A notable example is the DishBrain device, which uses 800,000 human brain cells cultured on silicon chips. DishBrain has learned to play the Pong video game in approximately five minutes, showcasing impressive capabilities as an energy-efficient machine learning tool. [Source]
Johns Hopkins University
Researchers at this university are exploring the field of “organoid intelligence,” which uses brain organoids to study brain development, learning, and memory. This approach also has the potential to investigate and find treatments for neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s. The research focuses on scaling up these organoids and developing technologies to communicate effectively with them. [Source]
These research efforts and developments promise significant advancements in computing, offering more energy-efficient systems and potentially revolutionizing our understanding of biology and artificial intelligence.
