Scientists Create Jelly-Like Computer Chips That Host Cells

Imagine a computer chip so soft and lifelike it could hold living cells while still functioning as electronics.

That's exactly what Professor Shiming Zhang and his team at the University of Hong Kong have created. After five years of work, they've developed the first soft, 3D transistors using what they call hydrogel semiconductors, materials that feel more like human tissue than traditional silicon chips.

Traditional computer chips are flat, rigid, and completely incompatible with the soft, three-dimensional nature of living systems like our bodies and brains. The challenge has stumped bioelectronics researchers for years.

Zhang's team took inspiration from nature itself. They designed their transistors to mimic both the behavior and structure of neurons in the human brain, creating something fundamentally different from conventional electronics.

The hydrogel semiconductors are grown in water through a self-assembling process, making them soft, biocompatible, and surprisingly thick. They can exceed several millimeters in depth, a record-breaking achievement that creates enough space to actually host living cells within the structure.

The research, published in the prestigious journal Science, represents a major leap forward in merging electronics with biology. These jelly-like chips could eventually lead to biohybrid devices that blur the line between machine and living organism.

The Ripple Effect

The implications extend far beyond the laboratory. Medical researchers could develop implantable devices that interface seamlessly with human tissue without causing rejection or damage. Neuroscientists might create better tools to study brain function by using materials that match the brain's own soft structure.

Zhang envisions future applications in healthcare, education, and daily life. "This is just the beginning of a new era of bioelectronics," he notes, adding that with further refinement, these 3D biochips could revolutionize multiple fields.

The research team brings together scientists from the University of Cambridge, the University of Chicago, and Hong Kong, along with both doctoral and undergraduate students. Their international collaboration shows how global cooperation advances breakthrough science.

Zhang acknowledges that regulatory frameworks will need to catch up with the technology before medical applications can become reality. Still, the foundation has been laid for a future where electronics and biology work together in ways previously confined to science fiction.

The soft revolution in computing has begun, one jelly-like chip at a time.