Now we can literally build neurons

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1. Brain-Like Artificial Neurons Created

Scientists at UMass Amherst have built artificial neurons that mimic real brain cells with stunning accuracy.

Connecting the artificial neuron to a biological cell.
a. (Top) Schematic of seeding cardiac cells (cardiomyocytes) on an ultra-flexible and releasable mesh sensing system. (Bottom) Schematic of forming 3D mesh-tissue integration. b. Fluorescence optical image of a formed mesh-tissue. The red color indicates the embedded mesh ribbons. The green, blue, and purple colors indicate F-actin, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and cardiac Troponin T (cTnT) in the cells, respectively. Scale bar, 0.5 mm. c. Representative recordings from four graphene sensors integrated on a mesh embedded in a tissue. The sharp spikes and broad peaks correspond to electrical action potentials and mechanical contractile signals, respectively. d. Schematic of the cell-sensor interface in the mesh-tissue system. The acquired sensing signals are amplified and fed into the artificial neuron, analogous to that presynaptic signals are transmitted by a synapse to the postsynaptic neuron. e. Sensing signals (f ~ 0.4 Hz) recorded from a cell in a mesh-embedded tissue (top panel) were converted into voltage pulses (120 mV, 70 ms, middle panel) and fed into the artificial neuron, which remained silent (bottom panel). f. Sensing signals of increased frequency (f ~ 0.6 Hz) from the cell after the tissue was treated with norepinephrine (top panel) were converted into voltage pulses (120 mV, 70 ms, middle panel) and fed into the artificial neuron, which showed firing activities (bottom panel).

2. Powered by Nature’s Tiny Superheroes

The neurons use ultra-efficient protein nanowires grown from electricity-producing bacteria (Geobacter sulfurreducens).

3. Ultra-Low Voltage Revolution

These artificial neurons operate at just 0.1 volts, matching the voltage of biological neurons and using dramatically less power than previous designs.

4. 100x More Efficient than Today’s Tech

The human brain runs on ~20 watts while performing complex tasks; a comparable AI model like ChatGPT needs over a megawatt. This new neuron bridges that massive efficiency gap.

5. Direct Communication with Living Cells

Because they run at biological voltage levels, these artificial neurons can connect directly with real biological tissue, not damaging high voltage signals.

6. No More Power-Hungry Amplifiers

Future wearable sensors and devices built with these neurons won’t need extra amplification circuits, making them simpler, smaller, and far more energy efficient.

7. Game-Changing Future Applications 

·         Bio-inspired ultra-efficient computers 

·         Sweat-powered wearables 

·         Direct brain-machine interfaces 

·         Devices that harvest electricity from thin air or body moisture


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