From silicon to brain cells: How biology may hold the future of computers

As artificial intelligence software and advanced computers revolutionize modern technology, some researchers see a future where computer programmers leap from silicon to organic molecules. Scientists with Johns Hopkins University are investigating the possibility of "biocomputers" – programs modelled from organic molecules such as human DNA or proteins – unlocking new insights on human biology and advancing the processing power of future tech. Much of these technological anticipations derive from something called "organoids," which are lab-grown tissues resembling fully grown organs, sharing similar biological complexities to tissues comprised in kidneys, lungs and brain cells. Organoids, which have become more prominent in labs over the last two decades, currently offer scientists a more ethical alternative to animal or human testing, mimicking basic functions of cells and advancing scientific understandings towards how those cells operate. Most recently, scientists with Johns Hopkins have been assessing the nature of "brain organoids," which are orbs the size of a pen dot that mirror the basic neural functions of learning and remembering in the human brain, according to a news release.