Many scientists consider the human brain to be one of the most powerful and efficient computers in the known universe. Because of its ability to conduct complex processes on a tiny amount of power, many researchers have attempted to replicate its structures in silicon, to advance cutting-edge fields like AI and robotics. However, a smaller, more gruesome subset of researchers has been experimenting with human tissue itself.

Is it possible to create a computer out of human cells? Well, yes, at least according to one Swiss-based company (plus a handful of academic research labs across the globe). As detailed in a new report from Nature, a bunch of biocomputers, also known as “human brain organoids”, are already up and running on the banks of Lake Geneva. Does that sound like the master plan of a Bond villain? Yes, a bit. Will it revolutionise our technological landscape in the years to come? That remains to be seen.

For now, we’ve gathered what you need to know about computers running on human-based organoids below.

FIRST, WHAT THE HELL IS AN ORGANOID?

It’s essentially a cluster of artificially-grown cells, grown and nourished by researchers, and designed to take on a certain shape. For the purposes of ‘biocomputing’ this shape typically includes neurons and other cells found in the human brain and nervous system. Advocates of biocomputing believe that these could replace fundamental parts of traditional computers in years or decades to come.

AND HOW DO THEY TURN INTO A COMPUTER?

When an electrical pulse is passed through the cells, it can cause them to fire an electrical signal in turn. Because these signals follow certain patterns, depending on the stimuli, they enable users to communicate with the so-called “brain blobs” and use algorithms to transform their output into legible information. In theory, this could be used to make processors that form the basis of a much more complex computer system.

DOES THIS MEAN BILLIONAIRE TECHNOCRATS WANT TO HARVEST MY BRAIN?

No. (Not for this, at least). Just because researchers are using brain cells as computer hardware, or ‘wetware’, they don’t need to actually take them from a human. Instead, companies like Switzerland’s FinalSpark use stem cells – unspecialised cells that can be reprogrammed to become almost any kind of cell – and turn them into neurons, or whatever other cells they need.

The parallels with the human brain are important, though. In order to deal with more complex processes, the organoids need to go beyond just responding to an electrical pulse with an automatic reflex. They need to be able to ‘learn’.  Just like in humans, this could involve delivering chemicals such as dopamine to the cells, to encourage a desired response to a certain kind of input. Or, it could involve blasting them with electrical signals – nice, orderly ones for positive results; chaotic white noise for bad results – which is how scientists taught a “mini brain” of 800,000 neurons to play Pong in 2022.

WHO’S USING THESE THINGS?

Despite being based on the shores of Lake Geneva, the reach of the biocomputers is surprisingly global. This is possible because the whole process of communicating with the cells is done via electrical signals that can travel across continents – in other words, researchers can log on and get remote access via the internet. You can even watch them working away in real-time, remotely, if that’s your kind of thing.

So far, a few academic groups have been granted free access to work with the biocomputing systems, from Bristol, to Berlin and Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their results can be seen by the company, and often revolve around testing how the organoids themselves respond to various stimuli. For $5,000 a month, private companies or individuals can also get exclusive access to an organoid.  “We have very, very big companies active in individual fields that you would think are disconnected to this,” FinalSpark co-founder Fred Jordan tells Nature. But the company has no oversight over what they’re actually up to. Mysterious!

ARE THEY REALLY BETTER THAN A NORMAL COMPUTER?

FinalSpark claims that biocomputing is “one billion times more energy efficient” than current, silicon-based computing hardware, which is a bold claim. Right now, though, researchers refer to their experiments as a “proof of concept” and nothing more. Jordan goes as far as to call the current systems “totally useless from a practical perspective”. However, he hopes to be among the pioneers who usher in a future described on the FinalSpark website, where “the boundaries between biology and technology dissolve”.

Right now, that might sound like a dystopian nightmare... and that’s not to mention the ethical concerns that arise if we blend this technology with AI, potentially yielding humanlike minds in every sense of the word. Luckily, you probably won’t have a brain in a jar on your desk anytime soon, so we’ve got plenty of time to figure things out.