Scientists plan to create biocomputers using minibrains powered by human brain cells. A new paper published in Frontiers in Science says the aim is to create a new multidisciplinary field called “organoid intelligence,” or OI. At the moment, scientists are working on using lab-grown minibrains to try to create super-efficient biocomputers.
The new term is meant to establish the field as a “form of genuine biological computing that harnesses brain organoids using scientific and bioengineering advances in an ethically responsible manner,” the paper explains. These new biocomputers are made up of lab-grown minibrains, which are essentially small 3D objects consisting of stem cells.
The cells are designed to mimic the shape of the brain, as well as the brain’s ability to learn. The scientists hope that these biocomputers could represent a massive leap forward in computer power. That’s because silicon-based computers are great with numbers. But, the brain itself is much more effective at learning. Biocomputers that utilize lab-grown minibrains could hopefully push the field into the spotlight.
B.C. Begley 