Researchers develop hybrid brain chip with 70,000 live neurons

The Princeton team designed an innovative technology called 3D-MIND, which merges living neural networks with a three-dimensional, flexible electronic mesh. This marks a significant step in developing brain-inspired computing systems.

The 3D-MIND device consists of a flexible electronic mesh integrated into cultured neural networks. Cells grow around and through the mesh, establishing stable connections that allow real-time monitoring and stimulation of the entire neural network.

The materials used have mechanical properties similar to brain tissue, enabling prolonged integration without disrupting neuron development. Researchers reported stable interactions lasting over six months.

The 3D-MIND platform represents progress at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biological systems, with potential to lower energy consumption in AI.

This system aims to reduce AI's energy demands, which currently require millions of times more energy than the human brain for similar tasks. Combining live neurons with flexible electronics opens avenues for more efficient computational architectures.

Furthermore, the technology has applications in medical research, such as studying neural circuits in more realistic three-dimensional environments, and in developing therapies for neurological disorders. Princeton plans to refine the device to model diseases and analyze brain development.

Long-term, researchers are working on increasing interface complexity and integrating optical imaging technologies to gain detailed insights into brain activity, moving toward hybrid biological-electronic systems.