From sci-fi to science: Scientists grow mini brains to power future computers

What once sounded like pure science fiction is edging closer to reality, as a small number of researchers experiment with turning living cells into computers.

This emerging field, known as biocomputing, is being pioneered by labs such as FinalSpark in Switzerland, where scientists are developing "living" servers – which replicate aspects of how artificial intelligence (AI) learns – that could one day rival data centres while consuming only a fraction of the energy, reports the BBC.

This is FinalSpark co-founder Dr Fred Jordan's vision.

While people are used to the ideas of software and hardware in their computers, Dr Jordan and other researchers refer to their creation as "wetware."

In practice, it involves growing clusters of neurons, called organoids, which are then connected to electrodes. At this point, the process of trying to use them like mini-computers can start.

Dr Jordan said, "In science fiction, people have been living with these ideas for quite a long time."

"When you start to say, 'I'm going to use a neuron like a little machine,' it's a different view of our own brain, and it makes you question what we are."

The process

At FinalSpark, the work starts with stem cells derived from human skin cells, purchased from a clinic in Japan. The identities of the donors remain anonymous.

According to Dr Jordan, offers from potential donors are plentiful. 

"We have many people who approach us… But we select only stem cells from official suppliers, because the quality of the cells is essential."

In FinalSpark's lab, cellular biologist Dr Flora Brozzi showed organoids resembling tiny white orbs in a dish. 

Though far simpler than human brains, they share the same cellular building blocks. After months of cultivation, they can be linked to electrodes and prompted to respond to simple keyboard commands, creating EEG-like readouts on a screen.

Yet, the organoids' responses remain unpredictable. There is a lot they still do not understand about what the organoids do and why, Dr Jordan admitted after a sudden unexplained spike of activity during a test.

The team's long-term goal is to train the organoids to learn, so they can eventually adapt to perform tasks.

"For AI, it's always the same thing," he said. "You give some input, you want some output that is used. For instance, you give a picture of a cat, you want the output to say if it's a cat", he explained.

Lifespan 

Unlike silicon-based computers, biocomputers face the fundamental challenge of survival. 

"Organoids don't have blood vessels," said Simon Schultz, professor of neurotechnology at Imperial College London. 

This emerging field known as biocomputing is being pioneered by labs such as FinalSpark in Switzerland. Photo: Collected

"The human brain has blood vessels that permeate throughout it at multiple scales and provide nutrients to keep it working well. We don't yet know how to make them properly. So this is the biggest ongoing challenge."

FinalSpark has managed to extend the lifespan of its organoids to around four months. 

But before they die, researchers sometimes observe a sudden burst of activity, eerily similar to spikes in brain activity in some humans before death. 

"I think we have recorded about 1,000 or 2,000 of these individual deaths across the past five years," said Dr Jordan. "It's sad because we have to stop the experiment, understand the reason why it died, and then we do it again."

Future applications

Biocomputing is not limited to FinalSpark. Australian firm Cortical Labs said in 2022 it had used artificial neurons to play the game Pong, while Johns Hopkins University in the US is studying mini-brains for insights into diseases like Alzheimer's and autism.

Dr Lena Smirnova of Johns Hopkins emphasised that wetware remains an early-stage technology. 

"Biocomputing should complement – not replace – silicon AI, while also advancing disease modelling and reducing animal use," she said.

Prof Schultz agreed. "I think they won't be able to out-compete silicon on many things, but we'll find a niche."

For Dr Jordan, however, the project still feels like stepping into a science fiction story. "I've always been a fan of science fiction," he said. "Now I feel like I'm in the book, writing the book."