Cortical Labs has announced the commercial launch of the CL1, the first biological computer integrating human stem cell-cultivated neurons with silicon technology to develop "Synthetic Biological Intelligence" (SBI).
The CL1 presents opportunities in both the medical sciences and technology sectors. It can improve drug discovery processes, drug testing, personalised medicine, and facilitate early disease detection. The computer's ability to learn and adapt faster than traditional silicon-based AI, while consuming less energy, suggests significant benefits for tech industries, including potential advancements in robotics and automation.
Dr Hon Weng Chong, Founder and CEO of Cortical Labs, stated, "Today is the culmination of a vision that has powered Cortical Labs for almost six years. We've enjoyed a series of critical breakthroughs in recent years, most notably our research in the journal Neuron, through which cultures were embedded in a simulated game-world, and were provided with electrophysiological stimulation and recording to mimic the arcade game 'Pong'. However, our long-term mission has been to democratise this technology, making it accessible to researchers without specialised hardware and software. The CL1 is the realisation of that mission. While today's announcement is incredibly exciting, it's the foundation for the next stage of innovation. The real impact and the real implications will come from every researcher, academic or innovator that builds on top of it."
Manufactured to order, the CL1 will be available to advanced laboratories capable of cultivating cells. Cortical Labs also plans to offer "Wetware-as-a-Service," enabling remote access to cultivated cells via the cloud for building various applications. This initiative aims to expand accessibility to researchers globally.
"Already we've seen incredibly strong interest from researchers, universities and academics from the US, Europe, Singapore, Japan, and Australia. However, there's only a finite amount of these elite institutions, and so to truly fulfil the technology's potential, and our mission to democratise it, we're offering Wetware-as-a-Service. This platform will enable the millions of researchers, innovators and big-thinkers around the world to turn the CL1's potential into tangible, real-world impact. We'll provide the platform and support for them to invest in R&D and drive new breakthroughs and research," Dr Chong added.
During a demonstration led by Dr Sandra Acosta, Assistant Professor, University of Barcelona, at a recent event, the CL1's capabilities were showcased live. Dr Acosta noted, "The CL1 is an incredible tool to grow our neurons in a fully controlled environment, allowing us to monitor and modify their electrophysiological features. This is definitely an inflexion point for long-term experiments that avoid the risky and disrupting movements out of the incubator or MEA devices to perform the required read-outs."
The CL1 features a fully programmable bi-directional stimulation interface, a life support system for the neurons, and a Python API, allowing for dynamic applications. Each unit functions independently, housing all necessary components, including recording and life support systems.
With energy efficiency being a key advantage, a rack containing 30 CL1 units requires only 850 - 1,000 watts. The system also includes a touchscreen for easy access to data and applications without the need for an external computer.
