DayOne, Cortical Labs and NUS have launched Singapore’s first biological data centre prototype, exploring lower-power AI computing using living neurons
Data centres have long been a story of silicon and servers.
DayOne, however, is bringing something rather more unusual into the mix: living human neurons.
The Singapore-headquartered digital infrastructure company has launched what it calls Singapore’s first Biological Data Center Prototype, developed with Cortical Labs and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine).
At the heart of the project is a 20-unit CL1 biological computing system, designed to combine living neurons with silicon hardware.
The aim is to explore whether biological computing can support AI and other workloads while consuming significantly less power than conventional computing infrastructure.
It makes more an intriguing experiment for a data centre industry that is facing rising AI demand and mounting pressure on energy efficiency. Could some of the future’s compute come not from more silicon, but from biology?
How neurons could change the data centre
Biological computing combines living neurons grown from stem cells with silicon hardware.
The neurons receive electrical signals, respond to them and adapt over time, allowing researchers to investigate how biological systems process information.
DayOne and its partners are positioning the prototype as a potential route to supporting some computing workloads with significantly lower power intensity than conventional digital systems.
The initial research will examine applications including neuro-inspired AI, biomedical modelling, drug discovery and neurological disease research.
The project also moves biological computing beyond a laboratory concept and into infrastructure designed to operate in a data centre environment.
“Our commitment to Singapore goes beyond capacity,” says Jamie Khoo, CEO of DayOne.
“We are here to help shape what the next generation of digital infrastructure looks like, and that means investing in approaches that meet Singapore's sustainability ambitions alongside its AI ambitions.
“This prototype is a step toward demonstrating that scaling compute and reducing resource intensity are goals we can pursue together.”
Singapore has become an important market for DayOne, which operates a digital infrastructure platform across nine markets in Asia Pacific and Europe.
The company says it has secured approximately 2.1GW of bookings since inception, supporting cloud and AI customers.
From biological research to data centre infrastructure
NUS Medicine brings neuroscience and neurobiology expertise to the project, while Cortical Labs supplies the biological computing technology and DayOne provides its digital infrastructure capabilities.
The deployment of the 20-unit CL1 system is described by DayOne as the world’s first independently operated biologically integrated server rack.
The system is being hosted within infrastructure designed and supported by DayOne at the NUS Medicine laboratory.
“The establishment of this prototype shifts the conversation from research to commercial application,” says Hon Weng Chong, Founder and CEO of Cortical Labs.
“Biological computing supplements AI in areas where data is sparse, learning from far less and adapting as conditions change.
“Our aim is to uncover the use cases where that advantage matters most, in areas such as drug discovery, humanoid robotics, cybersecurity and fraud detection.
“Ultimately, this is about offering a more sustainable path for the technologies humankind depends on.
“Singapore is the innovation hub for Asia's data centre industry, and what we build here is the model we intend to replicate and scale globally.”
The collaboration also gives NUS researchers a platform for investigating the biological mechanisms behind learning and adaptation.
“By growing living human neurons from stem cells and pairing them with rigorous engineering, we're not only building a more efficient alternative to silicon; we're creating a platform that can help us understand learning and adaptation at their biological source,” says Professor Rickie Patani, Professor of Neuroscience at NUS Medicine.
“That dual promise is what makes this collaboration sustainable and scientifically generative.
“It gives us a real route to accelerate drug discovery and neurological disease research, turning laboratory insight into real-world impact far faster than we could before.”
Supporting Singapore’s AI ambitions
The prototype comes as Singapore expands its data centre capacity while placing greater emphasis on energy efficiency.
The Biological Data Center Prototype is aligned with Singapore’s Green Data Center Roadmap, which sets higher standards for energy efficiency as the country increases capacity for AI and cloud workloads.
DayOne is also developing more conventional data centre infrastructure in the country.
Its first local data centre, SG1, reached structural topping out in May 2026 and is expected to become operational in early 2027.
The company is also developing its Global Operations Command Center in Singapore.
The biological prototype therefore sits alongside DayOne’s wider infrastructure build-out. Its purpose is to test whether biological computing can provide a practical alternative for specific workloads where its lower power requirements and ability to adapt could offer an advantage.
For now, the technology remains at prototype stage.
The next test will be determining which workloads biological systems can handle effectively and whether those applications can move from a research environment towards commercial deployment.