In this DishBrain experiment, brain cells cultured in a dish have mastered the computer game Pong, as seen in a YouTube video. Next, the scientists want them to get drunk.

The study's findings were released Wednesday, Oct. 12, via the Neuron journal.

Brain cells of around 800,000 were grown together by a team of scientists from Melbourne. They discovered how to activate the cells to execute goal-directed tasks after they had grown together, ABC News reported.

According to Science Alert, the neurons in DishBrain are a potent cocktail of those taken from embryonic mice and those derived from human stem cells. Cells were cultured on microelectrode arrays, which could be electrically stimulated to send signals to the neurons and elicit a sensory response.

The DishBrain

Using electrodes, the researchers communicated which side the ball was on to the cells, and the cells learned how to return the ball by pretending to be the paddle and reacting to signals from the electrodes.

Dr. Brett Kagan, the study's lead author and the head scientist at a new biotech company Cortical Labs, said that the findings pave the way for researchers to test hypotheses using a real human brain as a model rather than a model built according to how the computer scientists theorize the brain works.

He stated, "We have shown we can interact with living biological neurons in such a way that compels them to modify their activity, leading to something that resembles intelligence."

When asked why did they choose the game Pong, Dr. Kagan noted, "We chose Pong due to its simplicity and familiarity, but, also, it was one of the first games used in machine learning, so we wanted to recognize that."

What's Next

Dr. Kagan has stated that the researchers want to employ ethanol to "make them drunk" and observe any changes in the cells' ability to play Pong after ingesting alcohol or a drug.

Also read: Scientists Create Mini-Brain Organoids Using Stem Cells

The Experiment's Potential

The chief executive of Cortical Labs, Dr. Hon Weng, has indicated that the DishBrain experiment provides an easier technique for testing brain function and gaining insights into illnesses like epilepsy and dementia.

The research findings also provide new avenues for avoiding animal testing for pharmaceuticals and gene treatments.

Professor Karl Friston, a theoretical neurologist and co-author of the study, referred to the model as the "ultimate sandbox" for testing because it contained computing features identical to those found in the human brain.

As they lacked access to dopamine systems and other real-time incentives, the scientists struggled to figure out how to train the cells down a particular course.

Their research lends credence to the idea that cells want to control their environment as much as possible.

Friston explained that the cultures learned to take advantage of their knowledge to make their reality more predictable.

He added that, unlike a pet, these miniature brains are not motivated by rewards and punishments. Therefore it is impossible to teach them to organize themselves in this way.

Also Read: Computer Brain? These New Chips Bring its Capability to Mimic A Person's Grey Matter

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Written by Trisha Kae Andrada