At the LCSB, researchers model the complexity of the human brain in a Petri dish. Their work is highlighted in the latest episode of Primer , a new documentary series created by Bloomberg Originals that analyzes the complex science and technology shaping the future. Broadcast on March 27, the episode is entitled "Can Living Human Brain Cells Power AI?".
This 30-minute video explores the world of bioinformatics, a field in which scientists are just laying the foundations and which could well blur the boundaries between the biological and the synthetic. The episode features the work of biotech start-ups such as Cortical Labs in Australia and FinalSpark in Switzerland, as well as research conducted at the University of California, San Diego, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Luxembourg.
This exciting episode highlights the relevance of the research carried out by Professor Jens Schwamborn and his team at the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB). Since 2015, the Developmental & Cellular Biology team has been working with brain organoids, 3D cell cultures, to model physiological and pathological processes in the brain. By developing these complex in vitro models that recapitulate as closely as possible the functioning of the human brain, researchers aim to gain a better understanding of Parkinson’s disease and find new ways to treat a disease with a growing impact on our society.
While neurodegenerative processes are at the heart of the team’s work, it is also venturing into the brand-new field highlighted by this episode of the Primer series: organoid intelligence. With the COMPUTE project, supported by the Fondation du Pélican de Mie and Pierre Hippert-Faber , LCSB researchers aim to harness the computing power of neurons and brain tissue. They will use the LCSB’s expertise in 3D cell cultures to develop a kind of processor based on cerebral organoids, themselves obtained from stem cells.
"According to a recent scientific publication, a human brain is a million times more energy-efficient than a traditional computer," points out David Smeele , PhD student in the Developmental & Cellular Biology group. "Given the enormous power consumption of today’s computers, the use of brain organoids could be a game-changer, providing more environmentally-friendly technologies with similar or even superior performance." So, our future could one day include a new generation of biocomputers combining the advantages of electronics, artificial intelligence and the exceptional computing capabilities of the human brain.
Prof Jens Christian SCHWAMBORN
Full professor in Cellular and Developmental Biology
