Cortical Labs CL1 Biological Computer

The central design brief for CL1 was to transition a scientific prototype into the world’s first commercially available biological computer. The challenge was to engineer a robust, self-contained platform capable of sustaining living human neurons for months, enabling real-time closed-loop interaction with digital environments, and allowing researchers to deploy code directly to living cells.

This involved solving complex issues around biological containment, fluid dynamics, sterile handling, and interface usability. The goal was to unlock new frontiers in AI, drug discovery, and disease modelling, while offering a scalable, energy-efficient alternative to traditional systems and reducing reliance on animal testing.

A highly professional six-year design process was followed in collaboration with D+I (now Capgemini). The team was instrumental in defining product architecture, internal systems layout, aesthetic language, and usability for real-world research. Every subsystem was developed for biological compatibility, modularity, and long-term reliability—transforming a fragile lab prototype into a robust, manufacturable system. This clearly demonstrates a professionally executed and finished design.

The final design met and exceeded the brief. A modular enclosure supports both desktop and rack-mounted configurations, enabling individual or scaled deployment via the Cortical Cloud. A precision-controlled fluid management system sustains neural cultures for up to six months. Single-use sterile tube sets simplify setup and prevent contamination. A capacitive touchscreen provides intuitive local control and real-time monitoring.

CL1 is fully self-contained, with embedded processing, control, and data handling—requiring no external compute. It enables direct code deployment to living neurons, facilitating breakthroughs in AI and biomedical research. By offering a scalable, animal-free platform with significantly lower energy use than silicon-based AI, CL1 surpasses its original goals and establishes a new market for Synthetic Biological Intelligence—delivering novel functionality at a competitive price point.

CL1 rigorously satisfies and exceeds fundamental criteria for good design, showcasing attributes across multiple domains. Functionality is paramount, with CL1 providing a self-contained platform that sustains human neurons for months, enabling real-time, closed-loop interaction with digital environments and allowing direct code deployment to living cells.

Its modular enclosure supports diverse uses, from desktop to rack-mounted, with no external compute required. Robust electrical bonding and an embedded heating system ensure neural health and signal integrity.

User experience was a central consideration, evident in the professional execution of the design. A capacitive touchscreen interface offers intuitive local control and real-time monitoring. Single-use sterile tube sets simplify setup and prevent contamination, crucial for repeatable results and ease of use in research environments.

The MEA Headstage is designed for easy removal of the electrode dish without compromising sterility, featuring a single locking mechanism for user convenience and precise electrical bonding. The Cortical Cloud platform further enhances accessibility by allowing remote experiment execution via Python SDK and browser-based tools, effectively removing infrastructure barriers for researchers.

This project sets a new benchmark for design excellence in Australia and internationally by creating the world’s first commercially available biological computer. It integrates wetware, silicon hardware, and software within a compact, transparent enclosure, establishing a new industrial design model for Synthetic Biological Intelligence.

CL1’s design maturity, achieved through a six-year collaboration with D+I (now Capgemini), demonstrates the immense benefits of investing in professional design, transforming a fragile prototype into a robust, manufacturable system. It offers a scalable, animal-free platform that significantly reduces energy consumption compared to silicon AI systems, demonstrating ethical and environmental responsibility.

By offering a new class of capability at a competitive price, CL1 positions Cortical Labs as a global leader and lays the groundwork for future computing paradigms.

The CL1 project solved the challenge of transitioning a fragile scientific prototype into the world’s first commercially available biological computer in a truly innovative and imaginative way. The core problem involved creating a robust, self-contained platform capable of sustaining living human neurons for months, enabling real-time closed-loop interaction with digital environments, and allowing direct code deployment to living cells.

CL1 addressed complex interdisciplinary challenges across biology, hardware, and usability through groundbreaking design.

World-First Biological Computer: CL1 is the first product to integrate living neurons into a commercial computing system, establishing a new industrial design model for Synthetic Biological Intelligence.

Self-Contained Autonomy: All processing, control, and data handling are embedded within the unit, eliminating the need for external compute—critical for scalability and ease of deployment.

Advanced Life Support System: A closed-loop fluid system with precision temperature and gas regulation sustains neural cultures for up to six months, enabling long-term viability and reproducibility.

Direct Code Deployment: Researchers can now deploy code directly to living neurons, unlocking new possibilities in AI, drug discovery, and disease modelling.

Programmable Bi-directional Neural Interface: High-density electrode arrays support real-time stimulation and readout, enabling adaptive biological responses.

Cortical Cloud Platform: Remote experiment execution via Python SDK and browser tools removes the need for specialized lab infrastructure, democratizing access globally.

User-centered design was foundational. CL1 was developed for researchers, scientists, and developers, with features including:

• A capacitive touchscreen for intuitive control and monitoring
• Pre-assembled sterile tube sets for simplified setup and contamination prevention
• A single-lock MEA Headstage for easy, sterile electrode dish removal and precise bonding
• Modular enclosure supporting desktop and rack-mounted configurations

CL1 not only solves the challenge of commercializing biological computing but creates new opportunities for ethical, scalable, and energy-efficient research—setting a new benchmark for design excellence.

The CL1 project delivers long-lasting positive impacts across commercial, social, and environmental domains.

Commercially, it transforms years of Cortical Labs’ R&D into a scalable product, establishing a new market for Synthetic Biological Intelligence. It enables new business models, including hardware sales and remote access to living neuron networks via the Cortical Cloud, positioning Cortical Labs as a global leader in neuroscience, biotechnology, AI, and pharmaceutical research.

Socially, CL1 is groundbreaking. It allows researchers to deploy code directly to living human neurons, unlocking new possibilities in AI, drug discovery, and disease modelling. It offers a scalable, animal-free alternative for research, supporting patient-specific neural modelling and reducing reliance on animal testing—contributing to a more ethical and sustainable research ecosystem. It also aligns with emerging bioethical standards around consciousness and sentience.

Environmentally, CL1 consumes a fraction of the energy used by conventional silicon-based AI systems, offering a model for low-energy AI. While not designed around circular economy principles such as material minimisation or end-of-life recycling, its focus on energy efficiency and animal-free experimentation contributes meaningfully to a more sustainable scientific landscape.

The investment in professional design through a six-year collaboration with researchers, academics, industry, and design consultancy D+I (now Capgemini) led to the transformation from a fragile lab prototype into a robust, manufacturable system. Modular consumables, touchscreen UX, and flexible form factors have broadened accessibility to labs and developers previously unable to engage with biological computing.

This design maturity supports product differentiation and commercial viability. By translating emerging science into functional, commercial tools, CL1 demonstrates how design and engineering can drive innovation. It contributes to the reputation of Victoria’s design and creative culture and promotes the importance of professional design both locally and internationally, setting a benchmark for how design can shape the future of ethical, scalable, and sustainable technology.