麻豆淫院

Australian researchers are turning to nature for the next computing revolution, harnessing living cells and biological systems as potential replacements for traditional silicon chips. A new paper from Macquarie University scientists outlines how engineered biological systems could solve limitations in traditional computing, as international competition accelerates the development of "semisynbio" technologies.

Living computers, organs-on-a-chip, data storage in DNA and biosecurity networks that detect threats before they spread鈥攖hese aren't science fiction concepts but emerging realities. A team from Macquarie University and the ARC Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (COESB) has explored this convergence of biological and digital technologies in a Perspective paper in Nature Communications.

The Macquarie University authors鈥擯rofessor Isak Pretorius, Professor Ian Paulsen and Dr. Thom Dixon (who are also affiliated with the ARC Center of Excellence in Synthetic Biology), Professor Daniel Johnson and Professor Michael Boers鈥攄raw on decades of combined experience to explain why harnessing bio-innovation can proactively shape the future of computing technology.

"As biology and digital technology merge, we're entering an era of bio-inspired computing and engineering that could redefine the future of innovation," says Professor Pretorius.

Nature can accelerate global information and energy flows

The global economy relies on information and energy flows, and the race for computer science to develop artificial intelligence that can attempt to handle these flows comes at an enormous cost in energy and resources.

Meanwhile, the authors say, over 3.5 billion years of evolution, nature has become very good at efficiently sensing, solving problems and making decisions.

Biological systems have inspired breakthroughs like brain-computer interfaces and "neuromorphic chips"鈥攑rocessors designed to mimic the brain.

A key milestone in this field is the recent mapping of a fruit fly's entire neural network鈥攁n example of the neuroscience field of "connectomics," which maps and analyzes connections within the brain. This breakthrough could unlock smarter AI and more efficient processors.

What biology does better than traditional computing

Artificially replicating intelligence has an enormous energy and resource cost compared to biology, which processes complex chemical, optical, and electrical signals effortlessly.

With silicon chips reaching their limits, scientists are turning to biological intelligence as a way forward. Cellular computing, liquid computing, and DNA data storage could work alongside traditional chips, unlocking new efficiencies.

Even a simple slime mold can using a fraction of the energy modern computers consume.

"Rather than forcing biology to fit into digital systems, we should learn from nature's intelligent designs," says Professor Paulsen. "Integrating biological computing with technology could revolutionize AI, sensing, and data processing, leading to a more sustainable future."

Breakthrough innovations on the horizon

The paper argues that engineering biology and bio-computing will impact multiple sectors and industries:

• Organs-on-a-chip can enable faster, more precise medical treatments
• Biocomputing systems that mimic biological intelligence could accelerate data processing
• Biosecurity networks could use AI-driven DNA analysis to detect emerging biological threats.

"The future of computing isn't just about technology鈥攊t's about geopolitics," says Professor Johnson.

As the world's largest tech companies, including semiconductor giants, pour billions into AI-driven chip technology, market-leading companies like Nvidia have skyrocketed in value, reflecting the growing strategic importance of computational power.

The paper argues that those who lead the semisynbio revolution鈥攖he fusion of synthetic biology and semiconductor technology鈥攚ill define the next era of intelligence.

These pioneers will design and manufacture new substrates that merge biointelligence with AI, unlocking transformative applications in digital biology, ecosystem modeling, and AI-powered DNA writing.

A call to action

"This isn't just about advancing technology鈥攊t's about rethinking intelligence itself," says Professor Pretorius.

Scientists and policymakers must integrate biological intelligence with artificial networks while ensuring ethical and sustainable practices. Imagine a world where the World Wide Web connects with the Wood Wide Web, where AI-driven systems interface with the intelligence of nature itself.

The future of computing won't be just faster chips or quantum processors. It will be an entirely new paradigm鈥攚here nature and technology co-design intelligence together.

"The age of semisynbio is upon us, and its potential is bound only by human imagination," says Professor Pretorius.

This content was originally published on The Macquarie University .