Australian researchers are turning to nature for the next computing revolution, harnessing living cells and biological systems as potential replacements for traditional silicon chips.
Future focussed: Professor Sakkie Pretorius, Deputy Vice Chanceller, Research, pictured, is lead author on a new Nature Communications paper examining the next wave of bioengineering technologies.
Living computers, organs-on-a-chip, data storage in DNA and biosecurity networks that detect threats before they spread – these aren’t science fiction concepts but emerging realities. A team from Macquarie University and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (COESB) has explored this convergence of biological and digital technologies in a recent Perspectives paper published in Nature Communications.
The Macquarie University authors—Professor Isak Pretorius, Professor Ian Paulsen and Dr Thom Dixon (who are also affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology), Professor Daniel Johnson and Professor Michael Boers—draw on decades of combined experience to explain why harnessing bio-innovation can proactively shape the future of computing technology.
“As biology and digital technology merge, we’re entering an era of bio-inspired computing and engineering that could redefine the future of innovation,” says Professor Pretorius.
Nature can accelerate global information and energy flows
The global economy relies on information and energy flows, and the race for computer science to develop artificial intelligence that can attempt to handle these flows, comes at an enormous cost in energy and resources.
Meanwhile, the authors say, over 3.5 billion years of evolution, nature has become very good at efficiently sensing, solving problems and making decisions.
The age of semisynbio is upon us, and its potential is bound only by human imagination.
Biological systems have inspired breakthroughs like brain-computer interfaces and ‘neuromorphic chips’ - processors designed to mimic the brain.
A key milestone in this field is the recent mapping of a fruit fly’s entire neural network – an example of the neuroscience field of 'connectomics', which maps and analyses connections within the brain. This breakthrough could unlock smarter AI and more efficient processors.
What biology does better than traditional computing
Artificially replicating intelligence has an enormous energy and resource cost compared to biology, which processes complex chemical, optical, and electrical signals effortlessly.
With silicon chips reaching their limits, scientists are turning to biological intelligence as a way forward. Cellular computing, liquid computing, and DNA data storage could work alongside traditional chips, unlocking new efficiencies.
Even a simple slime mould can solve complex problems using a fraction of the energy modern computers consume.
“Rather than forcing biology to fit into digital systems, we should learn from nature’s intelligent designs,” says Professor Paulsen. “Integrating biological computing with technology could revolutionise AI, sensing, and data processing, leading to a more sustainable future.”
Breakthrough innovations on the horizon
The paper argues that engineering biology and bio-computing will impact multiple sectors and industries:
- Organs-on-a-chip can enable faster, more precise medical treatments
- Biocomputing systems that mimic biological intelligence could accelerate data processing
- Biosecurity networks could use AI-driven DNA analysis to detect emerging biological threats.
“The future of computing isn’t just about technology — it’s about geopolitics,” says Professor Johnson.
As the world's largest tech companies, including semiconductor giants, pour billions into AI-driven chip technology, market-leading companies like Nvidia have skyrocketed in value, reflecting the growing strategic importance of computational power.
The paper argues those who lead the semisynbio revolution—the fusion of synthetic biology and semiconductor technology—will define the next era of intelligence.
These pioneers will design and manufacture new substrates that merge biointelligence with AI, unlocking transformative applications in digital biology, ecosystem modeling, and AI-powered DNA writing.
A Call to Action
“This isn’t just about advancing technology — it’s about rethinking intelligence itself,” says Professor Pretorius.
Scientists and policymakers must integrate biological intelligence with artificial networks while ensuring ethical and sustainable practices. Imagine a world where the World Wide Web connects with the Wood Wide Web, where AI-driven systems interface with the intelligence of nature itself.
The future of computing won’t be just faster chips or quantum processors. It will be an entirely new paradigm—where nature and technology co-design intelligence together.
“The age of semisynbio is upon us, and its potential is bound only by human imagination,’ says Professor Pretorius.
Professor Sakkie Pretorius is Macquarie University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research.
Professor Dan Johnson is Macquarie University's Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Enterprise.
Ian Paulsen is a Distinguished Professor in Macquarie University's School of Natural Sciences.
Dr Thom Dixon is a member of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (CoESB) and Manager, National Security and Defence at Macquarie University.
Michael Boers is an Industry Professor in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University.
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