{"id":96184,"date":"2026-04-15T11:13:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T08:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=96184"},"modified":"2026-04-15T11:15:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T08:15:19","slug":"former-neuralink-presidents-startup-to-test-biohybrid-chip-on-humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/former-neuralink-presidents-startup-to-test-biohybrid-chip-on-humans\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Neuralink President’s Startup to Test Biohybrid Chip on Humans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Science Corporation has enlisted leading neurobiologist Murat Gunel to initiate clinical trials of a biohybrid brain-computer interface (BCI). This was reported by TechCrunch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The startup was founded by Max Hodak, the former president and co-founder of Neuralink. Gunel, the chair of neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine, joined the project as a scientific advisor after two years of negotiations.<\/p>\n

The collaboration aims to surgically implant the first sensor into a patient’s brain for a future interface that will be a symbiosis of lab-grown neurons and electronics.<\/p>\n

Science was founded in 2021. Last month, it completed a Series C funding round, raising $230 million at a valuation of $1.5 billion.<\/p>\n

The company’s advanced solution is PRIMA \u2014 a device for restoring vision in people who have gone blind due to macular degeneration<\/span> or similar conditions.<\/p>\n

Science acquired the technology in 2024 and plans to expand its application in Europe following approval from local regulators.<\/p>\n

Visionary Plans<\/h2>\n

Hodak has set ambitious goals for the startup: to create reliable communication channels between computers and the brain for treating severe diseases, and ultimately to enhance human capabilities, including the addition of new senses.<\/p>\n

Neuralink and other organizations have managed to track brain activity using electronic sensors. Users with BCI implants can control computers or display words on a screen simply by thinking about them.<\/p>\n

However, the commercialization of these devices remains uncertain due to regulatory barriers and a relatively small number of patients.<\/p>\n

Hodak considers the traditional invasive method using metal electrodes a dead end. Over time, this approach leads to tissue damage and degradation of the implant’s performance.<\/p>\n

The Science team has chosen a different path.<\/p>\n

\n

“The idea of using natural connections through neurons and creating a biological interface between electronics and the human brain is brilliant,” said Gunel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Neuron Integration<\/h2>\n

Science co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Alan Mardinly led the development of the biohybrid sensor with a team of 30 researchers. The final version of the device will incorporate lab-grown neurons.<\/p>\n

The nerve cells are designed to naturally integrate with neurons in the brain, forming a bridge between biology and electronics. They can be stimulated with light impulses.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the startup published<\/a> results of successful testing of the basic technology on mice. Engineers are now focused on creating prototypes and developing cell cultivation methods that meet strict medical standards.<\/p>\n

Gunel will advise the team preparing for human clinical trials. Discussions are underway with medical ethics committees overseeing human experimentation.<\/p>\n

The first step will be testing an advanced sensor without embedded neurons inside a living human brain.<\/p>\n

Future Plans<\/h2>\n

Unlike Neuralink, which implants neurointerfaces directly into tissues, Science places the device on the brain’s surface under the skull. This approach is believed to reduce risks for patients.<\/p>\n

The team plans to find suitable patients who require major surgical intervention. For example, those who have suffered a stroke and need part of their skull removed to reduce brain swelling.<\/p>\n

Gunel suggests placing the sensor on the surface of the cerebral cortex to practically assess the safety and effectiveness of reading neural activity.<\/p>\n

If successful, the BCI system could aid in treating neurological diseases. One of the first applications will be gentle electrical stimulation of damaged brain or spinal cord cells for their recovery.<\/p>\n

More complex scenarios include monitoring neurological activity in patients with tumors. This would allow medical staff to be warned of impending seizures in advance.<\/p>\n

In the more distant future, there is potential for using the interface to halt the progression of Parkinson’s disease.<\/p>\n

Gunel stated that in an optimistic scenario, clinical trials of the device could begin in 2027.<\/p>\n

Previously, a brain-computer interface user, Galen Buckwalter, learned<\/a> to create music with the power of thought.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Science Corporation has enlisted leading neurobiologist Murat Gunel to initiate clinical trials of a biohybrid brain-computer interface (BCI).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":96185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"select":"1","news_style_id":"1","cryptorium_level":"","_short_excerpt_text":"Science Corporation enlists neurobiologist for biohybrid BCI trials.","creation_source":"","_metatest_mainpost_news_update":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[438,1812],"class_list":["post-96184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-and-analysis","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-brain-computer-interface-bci"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"views":"27","promo_type":"1","layout_type":"1","short_excerpt":"Science Corporation enlists neurobiologist for biohybrid BCI trials.","is_update":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96184"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96186,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96184\/revisions\/96186"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}