Cortical Labs, an Australian startup, has introduced the CL1, the first deployable biological computer that utilizes human brain cells to create fluid neural networks. This innovation builds on prior achievements, such as teaching brain cells to play "Pong." The CL1 device integrates hundreds of thousands of tiny neurons cultivated on a silicon chip, enabling direct code deployment to the neurons. This technology aims to address complex problems in areas such as disease modeling and drug testing, potentially reducing reliance on animal testing in neuroscience research.
"A simple way to describe it would be like a body in a box, but it has filtration for waves, it has where the media is stored, it has pumps to keep everything circulating, gas mixing, and of course temperature control."
"There's so many different options," he told Australian broadcaster, suggesting it could be used for "disease modelling, or drug testing."
"The large majority of drugs for neurological and psychiatric diseases that enter clinical trial testing fail, because there's so much more nuance when it comes to the brain - but you can actually see that nuance when you test with these tools."
"Our hope is that we're able to replace significant areas of animal testing with this."
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