--- title: "Living Neurons Instead of Silicon: Singapore Launches First 'Biological' Data Center" description: "DayOne, Cortical Labs, and NUS Medicine have launched Singapore's first prototype of a 'biological' data center comprising 20 CL1 blocks that combine living human neurons with silicon chips." date: 2026-08-19T23:43:47.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/living-neurons-instead-of-silicon-singapore-launches-first-biological-data-center tags: [biological-data-center, cortical-labs, dayone, neuromorphic-computing, singapore, synthetic-biological-intelligence] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Living Neurons Instead of Silicon: Singapore Launches First 'Biological' Data Center ![Biological data center using live neurons by Cortical Labs in Singapore: DayOne module rack and a researcher in the lab](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/20/singapur-biologicheskij-datsentr-na-zhivykh-neironah/singapur-biologicheskij-datsentr-na-zhivykh-neironah-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Singapore has launched the country's first prototype of a 'biological' data center consisting of 20 CL1 blocks. - The CL1 system combines neurons from human stem cells with silicon chips and keeps them alive for up to six months. - Cortical Labs raised $11 million, while DayOne raised $4.5 billion in June 2026 ahead of its IPO. DayOne, together with Australian startup Cortical Labs and the medical faculty of the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), has put into operation the country's first prototype of a 'biological' data center, reports DataCenter Dynamics. The Singaporean biological computing system consists of 20 CL1 blocks and is located in an active research environment at NUS Medicine, provided by DayOne. The launch is a logical continuation of a previously reached agreement between the parties to create biological computing data centers in Melbourne and Singapore. ### How the CL1 Platform Works and What SBI Is The CL1 system, presented in 2025, combines neurons grown from human stem cells with silicon solutions. According to the company, the project's goal is to create a 'more advanced and environmentally sustainable form of AI,' which the developers call Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI) neural network. The platform feeds neurons information about their surrounding virtual environment, and the neurons react to the incoming data by generating impulses that affect events in the simulation. The integrated system keeps the neurons alive for up to six months, providing a stable working environment for experiments. ### From DishBrain to Commercial Bio-Computers CL1 is an upgraded version of Cortical Labs' DishBrain bio-computer, which used a CMOS chip with 800,000 human and mouse neurons and independently learned to play Pong β€” a 1972 computer game that simulated table tennis matches. According to a Cortical Labs representative, the creation of the new prototype moves biological computing into the realm of commercial application. Developers claim that such systems can complement classical AI in areas where there is not enough data for conventional artificial intelligence, since 'biological' AI is capable of learning from significantly smaller volumes of information and adapting as conditions change. ### Gaming History: From Pong to DOOM Public materials on Cortical Labs' projects feature different gaming scenarios: Pong is mentioned for the original DishBrain, while later reports and reviews (including on ixbt.com) talk about running DOOM on human brain cells. This is not a contradiction but a reflection of the platform's evolution: from the simplest arcade to more complex gaming environments that require more sophisticated adaptation from the neural tissue. Nevertheless, the exact number of neurons in the new CL1 block is not disclosed in open sources, creating an information gap between generations of systems. ### Investors and DayOne's Scale Cortical Labs, founded in Melbourne in 2019, has already raised $11 million in funding. Among the investors are Horizons Ventures, Blackbird Ventures, LifeX Ventures, Radar Ventures, and the CIA-linked In-Q-Tel. Singaporean data center operator DayOne (formerly GDS International) has a data center portfolio with a total capacity of over 500 MW and is preparing for an IPO. In June 2026, the company raised $4.5 billion in funding, underscoring its strategic bet on new forms of computing infrastructure. ### Contradictory Data Open sources contain minor discrepancies in the details. First, different materials mention different gaming tests (Pong for DishBrain and DOOM for later Cortical Labs experiments), which may mislead readers about a single system. Second, the original DishBrain bio-computer is precisely stated to have 800,000 neurons, whereas for the new CL1 block the specific number of neurons is not provided in the available sources. Third, the base figure is Cortical Labs' $11 million raise, while in some reviews the total funding estimates for the startup may vary depending on how different rounds are counted. These discrepancies do not change the main fact β€” the launch of the prototype in Singapore β€” but they require caution when citing exact figures. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Human neurons team up with silicon: Singapore launches prototype of a 'biological' data center](https://servernews.ru/1147087) - Основной источник: 20 Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠΎΠ² CL1, NUS Medicine, SBI, 800 тыс. Π½Π΅ΠΉΡ€ΠΎΠ½ΠΎΠ² Π² DishBrain, Pong, инвСсторы ΠΈ 4,5 ΠΌΠ»Ρ€Π΄ Π΄ΠΎΠ»Π»Π°Ρ€ΠΎΠ² DayOne. - [Singapore launches data center powered by living human neurons](https://vc.ru/id535276/3083539-singapur-biologicheskiy-data-tsentr-na-zhivykh-neironakh) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ запуска Π±ΠΈΠΎ-Π¦ΠžΠ” Π² Π‘ΠΈΠ½Π³Π°ΠΏΡƒΡ€Π΅ Π½Π° ΠΆΠΈΠ²Ρ‹Ρ… Π½Π΅ΠΉΡ€ΠΎΠ½Π°Ρ… Ρ‡Π΅Π»ΠΎΠ²Π΅ΠΊΠ°. - [DOOM runs on human brain cells: how Cortical Labs made neurons in a test tube ...](https://www.ixbt.com/live/science/doom-zapustili-na-chelovecheskih-mozgovyh-kletkah-kak-cortical-labs-zastavili-neyrony-iz-probirki-prohodit-igry.html) - Π£ΠΏΠΎΠΌΠΈΠ½Π°Π΅Ρ‚ DOOM ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ ΠΈΠ³Ρ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠΉ сцСнарий Cortical Labs; расхоТдСниС с Pong ΠΈΠ· основного тСкста ΠΎΡ‚Ρ€Π°ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΎ Π² Π±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠ΅ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠΉ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What is a 'biological' data center in Singapore? **A:** It is a prototype computing system of 20 CL1 blocks that combine neurons grown from human stem cells with silicon chips. The system is located in the NUS Medicine research environment and is supported by DayOne. ### Q: How many neurons does the CL1 system use? **A:** The exact number of neurons in the new CL1 block is not disclosed in open sources. The original DishBrain bio-computer is stated to have 800,000 human and mouse neurons. ### Q: Who is investing in the project? **A:** Cortical Labs raised $11 million from Horizons Ventures, Blackbird Ventures, LifeX Ventures, Radar Ventures, and In-Q-Tel. Operator DayOne raised $4.5 billion in June 2026 and is preparing for an IPO.