Skip to content
Biotechnology, Defence

Research to merge human brain cells with AI secures national defence funding

Monash University 2 mins read

Monash University-led research into growing human brain cells onto silicon chips, with new continual learning capabilities to transform machine learning, has been awarded almost $600,000 AUD in the prestigious National Intelligence and Security Discovery Research Grants Program.

The new research program, led by Associate Professor Adeel Razi, from the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, in collaboration with Melbourne start-up Cortical Labs, involves growing around 800,000 brain cells living in a dish, which are then “taught” to perform goal-directed tasks. Last year the brain cells’ ability to perform a simple tennis-like computer game, Pong, received global attention for the team’s research.

According to Associate Professor Razi, the research program’s work using lab-grown brain cells embedded onto silicon chips, “merges the fields of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology to create programmable biological computing platforms,” he said. 

“This new technology capability in future may eventually surpass the performance of existing, purely silicon-based hardware.

"The outcomes of such research would have significant implications across multiple fields such as, but not limited to, planning, robotics, advanced automation, brain-machine interfaces, and drug discovery, giving Australia a significant strategic advantage."

The project garnered funding from the prestigious Australian grant body because the new generation of applications of machine learning, such as self-driving cars and trucks, autonomous drones, delivery robots, intelligent hand-held and wearable devices, “will require a new type of machine intelligence that is able to learn throughout its lifetime,” Associate Professor Razi said.  

This “continual lifelong learning” means machines can acquire new skills without compromising old ones, adapt to changes, and apply previously learned knowledge to new tasks—all while conserving limited resources such as computing power, memory and energy. Current AI cannot do this and suffers from “catastrophic forgetting”. 

In contrast, brains excel at continual lifelong learning. 

The project’s aim is to grow human brain cells in a laboratory dish, called the DishBrain system, to understand the various biological mechanisms that underlie lifelong continual learning.

“We will be using this grant to develop better AI machines that replicate the learning capacity of these biological neural networks. This will help us scale up the hardware and methods capacity to the point where they become a viable replacement for in silico computing,“  Associate Professor Razi said. 

For media enquiries please contact:

Monash University
Tania Ewing
E: Tania.Ewing1@monash.edu 
T: 0408 378 422

For more Monash media stories, visit our news and events site 

For general media enquiries please contact:
Monash Media
E: media@monash.edu
T: +61 (0) 3 9903 4840

 


Contact details:

Tania Ewing
0408 378 422
Tania.Ewing1@monash.edu 

More from this category

  • Biotechnology, Science
  • 23/12/2024
  • 09:00
Brandon Capital

CUREator + deploys $18.5 million in its first funding round

MELBOURNE, Australia — 23 December 2024 CUREator +, has announced that eight local startups developing innovations with the potential to save lives and improve wellbeing will receive grants totalling $18.5 million in its first funding round. CUREator+, delivered in partnership with Brandon BioCatalyst and ANDHealth, is a national program focused on accelerating the research translation and commercialisation of preclinical and clinical early-stage Australian medical research and medical innovations with commercial potential. These innovations include drugs (novel and repurposed), devices, diagnostics and digital technologies that address unmet needs. Enabling rapid assessment of the efficacy of cancer treatments AI-powered platform providing early…

  • Defence, Government Federal
  • 17/12/2024
  • 14:41
Parliament of Australia

JCPAA publishes report of inquiry into Defence 2022-23 Major Projects Report

The Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit has published its report into the 2022-23 Major Projects Report. Chair of the Committee, Hon Linda Burney MP said, ‘Now in its sixteenth year, the Major Projects Report (MPR) continues to be an important tool for Defence accountability and transparency. In 2022-23, the twenty projects contained in the MPR constitute around 31percent ($58.6 billion) of Defence’s total acquisition budget.’ The Committee examined a wide range of issues this year, including the reasons for the Auditor-General’s qualified conclusion and emphasis of matter. The Committee made four recommendations, which when implemented, will result in…

  • Biotechnology
  • 13/12/2024
  • 06:41
ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

ARS Pharmaceuticals Announces Filings for Approval of neffy® in China, Japan and Australia

Licensing partners in key Asia Pacific countries have filed for approval of neffy (epinephrine nasal spray) 2 mg with regulatory agenciesSAN DIEGO, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPRY), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to empowering at-risk patients and caregivers to better protect themselves from allergic reactions that could lead to anaphylaxis, announced today that its licensing partners in China, Japan and Australia have filed for approval of neffy® (epinephrine nasal spray) 2 mg in their respective countries. neffy 2 mg was recently approved in the U.S. for the treatment of Type I Allergic Reactions, including anaphylaxis,…

Media Outreach made fast, easy, simple.

Feature your press release on Medianet's News Hub every time you distribute with Medianet. Pay per release or save with a subscription.