Researchers have created a “hybrid biocomputer” that combines lab-grown brain tissue with traditional electronic circuits. A biocomputer can perform tasks such as voice recognition.

Researchers will launch the system this week Presented in Nature Electronics“The name is Brainoware,” he says Summary of nature described. The biocomputer is based on “brain organoids”. These are bundles of human tissue-mimicking cells that are made from stem cells. These are used in research to recreate organs. In this case, they were used to make neurons, which are similar to neurons found in the human brain.

According to the researchers, Brainoware was able to recognize vocal sounds with up to 78% accuracy. To do this, the researchers trained a model with 240 recordings of eight different speakers. Brain tissue responded differently to different acoustic sounds. The speaker can be identified based on those answers.

To create the biocomputer, researchers placed an organoid on a dish containing “thousands of electrodes” that could connect it to electrical circuits, Nature reported. The input information, in this case audio recordings, is then converted from the circuits into a pattern of electrical impulses. These in turn are passed to the organic organ. The tissue response is then captured by a sensor and decoded using a machine learning algorithm.

Right now, Brainoware is mainly about one Proof of concept, although the technology may eventually enable the creation of full-fledged biological computers. Researchers say this technology could be integrated into artificial intelligence systems, or used to improve brain models for neuroscience research. It could be used to study brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, or to test the effectiveness and toxicity of treatments. “This is where it’s promising; using these systems to hopefully one day replace animal models of the brain,” researcher Aarti Ahluwalia of the University of Pisa tells Nature.

The researchers cite several challenges for the future, including keeping organisms alive. The cells must be grown in an incubator, which may become more difficult as the organelles used become larger. Researchers still want to know how brain organoids adapt to more complex tasks and evolve to achieve greater stability and reliability.