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UMass Researchers Create Energy-Efficient Biological Neurons

10/3/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst developed artificial neurons that operate at biological voltages and use picojoules per spike.
The device relies on protein nanowires from Geobacter Sulfurreducens, unlike silicon platforms such as Intel's Loihi or IBM's TrueNorth.
The design uses standard CMOS processing, but scaling is hindered by bacterial growth and nanowire purification.

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Story summary

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst developed artificial neurons that operate at biological voltages and use picojoules per spike.
The device relies on protein nanowires from Geobacter Sulfurreducens, unlike silicon platforms such as Intel's Loihi or IBM's TrueNorth.
The design uses standard CMOS processing, but scaling is hindered by bacterial growth and nanowire purification.