Tag

Brain Organoids

All articles tagged with #brain organoids

science1 day ago•4 min saved

Seven-year lab-grown brain organoids reveal time-keeping in a dish

Harvard researchers grew brain organoids for up to seven years, using DNA methylation epigenetic clocks to show the artificial brains develop and effectively age like human brains; mixing older organoid tissue with younger tissue warped development, suggesting organoids can record developmental time, though most organoids die from oxygen limits and are destroyed after experiments. The work illuminates brain development and offers new angles for studying neurodegenerative diseases and other conditions.

via New York Post|

#brain-organoids #developmental-biology #epigenetics

science5 days ago•48 min saved

Five-Year Lab Brain Organoids Push the Boundaries of Maturation

Scientists grew human brain organoids in the lab for five years, finding that their biological age tracks closely with time in culture and mirrors the developmental sequence of a human brain from gestation onward. The study, which sequenced RNA every six months across 34 organoids, showed these “clumps of brain cells” can remember developmental steps and record elapsed time, a finding scientists call a time warp. While the results are unsettling, long-lived organoids offer insights for drug testing, viral effects on neurodevelopment, and brain evolution, and researchers aim to accelerate maturation even further.

via Yahoo|

#brain-maturation #brain-organoids #in-vitro

neuroscience7 days ago•115 min saved

Lab-grown brain organoids reveal an intrinsic developmental clock that records years in culture

Researchers cultured human cortical organoids for over five years and found that they age along with in vivo humans, showing transcriptional maturation and DNA methylation changes that track culture time. Epigenetic clocks predicted the organoids’ age with high accuracy, and mixed-age (heterochronic) organoids demonstrated that older progenitors retain a memory of past development and can be steered to produce late-stage neurons, skipping earlier fates. This work positions long-term organoid culture as a powerful in vitro model to study postnatal human brain maturation and neoteny.

via Nature|

#aging #brain-organoids #developmental-timing

technology14 days ago•25 min saved

Living Brains, New Computers: The Organoid AI Frontier

A longform feature explores how lab-grown human brain organoids are advancing from disease models to prototypes of computing, with organoids that can connect, learn, and even power bio-computers by interfacing with hardware. While researchers debate ethics and whether such tissue could be conscious, the practical promise is clear: better drug testing models and energy‑efficient, biology‑based computing that could complement or rival traditional AI.

via WIRED|

#brain-organoids #cortical-labs #neural-computing

ethics1 month ago•12 min saved

Consent urgently needed as brain-organoid biocomputing advances

A Nature commentary argues that using lab-grown brain tissue for biocomputing raises an overlooked consent issue: donors may not foresee that their cells could power brain‑like computers or commercial AI tasks, and open-ended consent is inadequate. It calls for explicit, nuanced consent and new independent review boards, outlining three pathways—create new cell lines, obtain fresh consent from existing donors, or secure independent approval—before expanding biocomputing research.

via Nature|

#biocomputing #brain-organoids #consent

science5 months ago•3 min saved

Mini Brains Demonstrate Goal-Directed Learning

UC Santa Cruz researchers showed that lab-grown brain organoids can process information and, with targeted electrical feedback guided by a reinforcement-learning algorithm, solve the cart-pole balancing task, boosting success from 4.5% to 46%. The work demonstrates goal-directed learning in minimal cortical circuits and marks a milestone in organoid neuroscience.

via Futurism|

#brain-organoids #lab-grown-brains #neuroscience

science6 months ago•6 min saved

Lab-grown brain organoids show adaptive learning in a cartpole task

Mouse brain organoids grown in a dish were used in a closed-loop system with performance-based electrical feedback to train them to balance a virtual cartpole, achieving 46% proficiency under adaptive coaching. The results demonstrate short-term learning in neural tissue and offer a platform to study plasticity and neurological disease, while noting that the organoids are not conscious and the approach is not a replacement for traditional computing.

via ScienceAlert|

#adaptive-feedback #brain-organoids #cartpole

science6 months ago•8 min saved

Race to Define Consciousness: Testing Awareness Across Humans, Machines, and Organoids

As AI and neurotechnology accelerate, scientists warn that a lack of a solid understanding of consciousness could trigger ethical and legal mistakes. A Frontiers in Science review argues for developing evidence-based tests to detect consciousness in humans, fetuses, animals, brain organoids, and AI, with wide implications for medicine, law, animal welfare, and policy, and calls for coordinated, phenomenology-focused research amid ongoing debates about whether machines could be conscious.

via ScienceDaily|

#artificial-intelligence #brain-organoids #consciousness

science7 months ago•2 min saved

Mini-Brains Uncover Brain Signals Linked to Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have used lab-grown 'mini-brains' or organoids to identify neural signatures associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, achieving up to 92% accuracy in distinguishing these conditions through electrical activity patterns, which could lead to more objective diagnoses and targeted treatments in the future.

via ScienceAlert|

#bipolar-disorder #brain-organoids #mini-brains

health8 months ago•4 min saved

Mini Brains Show Distinct Signals of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Researchers have developed mini brain organoids from patient cells that exhibit distinct electrical activity patterns, enabling accurate identification of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which could lead to improved diagnosis and personalized treatment options.

via ScienceDaily|

#bipolar-disorder #brain-organoids #electrical-biomarkers

science8 months ago•5 min saved

Mini Brains Mimic Kindergarten Neural Wiring, Raising Ethical Questions

Scientists have developed complex brain organoids that mimic a kindergartner's neural wiring, raising ethical concerns about their potential to develop sensations or consciousness. Experts advocate for global regulation to oversee research, especially as these mini brains could lead to breakthroughs in treating neurological disorders, but also pose moral questions about their use and treatment.

via SingularityHub|

#brain-organoids #ethics #mini-brains

science8 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Uncover Neural Roots of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Scientists used lab-grown brain organoids and machine learning to identify distinct electrical signatures associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, potentially paving the way for more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatments.

via SciTechDaily|

#bipolar-disorder #brain-organoids #machine-learning

science9 months ago•7 min saved

Experts Urge Global Oversight for Growing Brain Organoid Research

As brain organoids become more complex and closer to mimicking human brain functions, leading scientists and bioethicists are calling for an international oversight body to address emerging ethical concerns, including potential consciousness, rights of cell donors, and animal welfare, amid rapid advancements and increased funding in the field.

via statnews.com|

#bioethics #brain-organoids #ethics

science10 months ago•4 min saved

Public Uncertainty Grows Over Ethical Use of Conscious Lab-Grown Minibrains

A Live Science poll reveals public uncertainty about experimenting on potentially conscious brain organoids, with opinions divided on ethical considerations and regulatory needs, highlighting the moral dilemma posed by advancing brain research.

via Live Science|

#brain-organoids #consciousness #ethics

science-and-technology1 year ago•3 min saved

Mini-Brains Unlock Secrets of Mitochondrial Disorders

Researchers at the University of Bergen have developed mini-brains, or brain organoids, to study mitochondrial dysfunction in brain cells, offering new insights into treating conditions like epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases. These organoids mimic disease processes, allowing for real-time observation and testing of potential treatments, potentially revolutionizing the understanding and treatment of mitochondrial brain disorders.

via Neuroscience News|

#alzheimers-disease #brain-organoids #epilepsy