In this installment of CCC’s Weekly Computing News, we are sharing a $14 million funded effort toward innovative research in bioengineering.

NSF invests $14M in bioengineered systems and ethical biocomputing research

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is investing $14 million into seven innovative research projects through its Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI) program. This initiative is focused on advancing organoid intelligence, a multidisciplinary field that uses tiny, 3D-engineered tissues to replicate the functions of natural organs. By investing $2 million in each project, NSF aims to explore and develop novel biological computing systems that could significantly enhance the capabilities of artificial intelligence and address its current limitations.

Organoid intelligence merges biology with computing to create more flexible, robust, and efficient systems. The research will establish how these biological models can improve our understanding of learning processes and lead to the development of superior algorithms, neural networks, and interfaces. 

The goal is to push the boundaries of traditional AI and biological computing, that could revolutionize the way we approach technology and intelligence.

Read more about the seven projects here.