
Biohybrid, bionic and neurotechnologies
Currently, biohybrid, bionic and neurotechnologies are gaining popularity in the pharmaceutical industry. In this article, we will try to understand the terminology and application of such products.
Biohybrid technologies involve the creation of new materials from living cells and synthetic molecules. Biohybrids are also called pharmacites – a symbiosis of artificial and natural.
Biohybrid technologies are being developed all over the world, including in Russia. For example, the Research and Technological Center of Neurotechnology of the Southern Federal University has developed biohybrid olfactory systems - biohybrid technologies based on microelectrodes capable of reading the total activity of dozens of neurons. By understanding the activity of the olfactory bulb of rats and processing information using an artificial neural network based on the server of the Southern Federal University, scientists were able to identify and recognize patterns characteristic of cancer, diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis.
Bionic technologies are the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to study and design engineering systems and modern technologies. One example of bionic technologies is bionic prostheses. These are high-performance computers that receive impulses directly from the brain. For example, in order to turn on the light in a room, it is enough to think about it, and the sensor system will perform the necessary action.
Neurotechnology involves the use of any method or electronic device that interacts with the nervous system to monitor or modulate nervous activity.
An example of developments based on neurotechnologies is the Telepathy chip from Neuralink, which provides patients with paralysis with the power of thought to control electronic devices – move the cursor and type text. This is made possible by thin polymer probes that do not damage the patient's brain. The electrodes deliver signals from the brain directly to the chip, which is responsible for transmitting them to external devices.
According to experts, in the future, this invention will allow a person with disabilities to interact with the digital space, as well as open up new opportunities for more accurate interpretation of brain signals.