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Computing: Creating Organic Chips from Silicon and Human Neurons
Wetware computing combines human biology with the silicon, plastic, and metals used by traditional semiconductors.
A number of businesses and researchers are beginning to use synthetic biology to build computer chips. Neurons from mice and humans are being integrated into the chips to create a new type of computer processor.
Cortical Labs, for example, is taking human cells, converts them into skin cells, and then turns those cells into neurons that are used in the chips. The neurons are grown on a silicon chip and are able to grow, change their shape, or die based on computational needs.
Researchers at Cortical Labs said that “biological neural networks can solve problems in unfamiliar situations — independent of acquired knowledge — due to their self-organizing properties. Fluid intelligence is an essential requirement for autonomous robots.”
The hope is that hybrid organic computer chips will be more flexible than conventional chips and consume far less energy. It may be possible for hybrid chips to change and evolve to best respond to the environment in which they are placed.
