Image Courtesy: National University of Singapore (NUS)

Researchers in Singapore have unveiled a biological data center prototype that uses living human brain cells to process information, marking a major step toward computing systems that combine biological neurons with conventional digital hardware.

The prototype was developed by the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in partnership with data center operator DayOne and biological computing company Cortical Labs. The system consists of 20 CL1 biological computing units, each containing approximately 800,000 lab-grown human neurons.

The Biological Data Centre was established at the NUS Life Sciences Institute and is described by the university as the world’s first independently operated biologically integrated server rack. The system was demonstrated on August 6, with more than 80 guests observing neural activity through microelectrode arrays and the operation of Cortical Labs’ CL1 and Cortical Cloud systems.

Unlike conventional data centers, which rely on silicon processors, biological computers use living neurons grown from stem cells. Microelectrode arrays connect the cells to electronic hardware, allowing electrical signals to move between the biological network and digital systems.

NUS neuroscientist Rickie Patani said the project could provide both a new computing architecture and a way to study how biological systems learn and adapt. The researchers believe biological computers could also consume substantially less power than conventional systems, an increasingly important consideration as artificial intelligence drives higher demand for data center infrastructure.

The International Energy Agency reported that global data center electricity consumption increased by 17 percent in 2025. Biological computing could potentially reduce some of that energy burden, although the technology remains at an early experimental stage.

Cortical Labs says biological neural networks may be particularly useful for problems where limited training data is available because living neurons can adapt to changing conditions. Potential applications include drug discovery, robotics, cybersecurity and fraud detection.

The technology could also give researchers a new platform for studying neurological disorders and testing potential treatments. NUS Medicine will oversee the cultivation and maintenance of the living cells used by the system.

The companies involved now aim to determine how biological computing can transition from an experimental technology into practical commercial applications. Whether living neurons can eventually compete with silicon at meaningful scale remains an open question, but the Singapore prototype demonstrates that biological processing is moving beyond the laboratory and into real computing infrastructure.