Overview

Cortical Labs is pursuing a radically different approach to brain-computer interfaces, treating biological neural tissue as a computational substrate. Founded in 2019 in Melbourne, the company develops DishBrain, a system combining cultured mammalian neurons with microelectrode recording and stimulation arrays.

DishBrain Technology

The DishBrain system consists of approximately 800,000 neurons cultured on a microelectrode array connected to a computer environment. The biological neural network receives sensory inputs through electrical stimulation and generates outputs to control virtual or physical environments. The neurons demonstrate learning behavior, including mastery of Pong and early progress toward more complex games like Doom.

Biological Computing Vision

Rather than replacing the brain with electronics, Cortical Labs explores using biological neural tissue as a novel computing substrate that may outperform silicon in specific tasks, particularly those requiring learning and adaptive decision-making. This approach leverages 3.8 billion years of evolutionary optimization of neural computation.

BCI Applications

While currently exploratory, DishBrain research suggests pathways toward hybrid biological-silicon BCIs that combine the signal quality of biological neural recording with the computational power of external AI systems. The work raises fundamental questions about consciousness and agency in biological neural systems.