Can living brain cells replace silicon chips?

DayOne and Cortical Labs plan Singapore's first biological data center using living neurons.

Singapore is testing a new approach to computing that replaces silicon chips with living brain cells. A partnership between Singapore-based data center firm DayOne and Melbourne startup Cortical Labs aims to build the city-state's first biological data center, a system designed to run artificial intelligence workloads using living neurons instead of standard servers.

The project would also be the first of its kind outside Australia. DayOne will provide funding and strategic input, while Cortical Labs will work with researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore to build a prototype system.

Unlike traditional data centers that rely on racks of silicon chips, a biological data center uses what researchers call "wetware." These systems rely on living neurons grown from stem cells that form small brain-like networks capable of processing information. Supporters of the technology believe these biological systems may use far less energy than standard computing hardware.

Cortical Labs recently launched an early biological data center prototype in Melbourne. The Singapore project will build on that work by testing how wetware computing performs in a new environment. Engineers and researchers plan to measure efficiency, power use, and computing performance while comparing the results with conventional digital systems.

The partners will also study how this type of computing fits within Singapore's regulatory and safety framework. That includes biosafety standards, compliance rules, and possible collaborations with universities and industry groups.

Testing the model in Singapore

The initiative comes as Singapore expands its data center sector while tightening sustainability standards. The government has opened at least 200 megawatts of new capacity through its latest allocation program, while the Infocomm Media Development Authority continues to push higher efficiency standards through its Green Data Center Roadmap.

As an initial step, Cortical Labs plans to deploy a small system at the National University of Singapore consisting of one rack containing 20 Cortical Cloud units.

Jamie Khoo, CEO of DayOne, said Singapore is "raising the bar for sustainable data center growth," and that the market is starting to respond with new approaches rather than simply building larger facilities. For DayOne, working with Cortical Labs provides a chance to explore "a new compute paradigm" that fits with Singapore's push for energy efficiency and cleaner power use.

If early testing proves successful, the project will move into a live environment inside a DayOne commercial data center. This stage will test how wetware computing works under real operational conditions, including power supply limits, cooling systems, and environmental controls commonly used in large facilities.

Over time, the system could expand further. The partners are considering a phased rollout that might reach up to 1,000 computing units in a DayOne facility, though this would depend on technical results and regulatory approvals.

Hon Weng Chong, founder and CEO of Cortical Labs, said Singapore has made it clear that "the next chapter of digital infrastructure must be built with sustainability at the core." At the same time, demand for AI systems continues to rise across industries.

According to Chong, "AI is moving from novelty to necessity across every sector," but energy and water limits in the region are forcing companies to rethink how computing infrastructure grows. He described the partnership as an effort to offer policymakers and industry "a practical alternative" that aims to separate AI growth from a larger resource footprint.

The search for new computing approaches comes as global demand for data centers continues to climb. Analysts estimate that worldwide capacity could reach about 200 gigawatts by 2030. In Southeast Asia, data center power demand could rise from around 2.6 gigawatts in 2025 to about 10.7 gigawatts by 2035.

This rapid expansion has raised concerns about electricity use, water consumption, and emissions across the region.

Research potential beyond computing

Researchers involved in the Singapore project also see potential scientific uses for the technology. These include drug discovery, biomedical modeling, and energy research.

Cells used in the computing system will be grown at the NUS Life Sciences Institute under the supervision of Professor Rickie Patani, who leads the Neurobiology Programme.

Patani said combining neuroscience with computing research could open new ways to study how biological systems learn and adapt. Wetware systems, he explained, can help researchers explore "new approaches to learning, adaptation and biological modeling."

He added that the team's work on generating specific types of human neurons from stem cells provides a foundation for turning biological processes into computing platforms. For areas such as drug discovery and neurological disease research, Patani said experiments using brain-like biological networks alongside traditional computing could "accelerate hypothesis testing and shorten cycles from laboratory insight to meaningful real-world impact."