Subsense CEO on hacking the brain, treating neurodegenerative diseases and forging complete synergy between technology and human.
Subsense is developing a groundbreaking, non-surgical brain-computer interface (BCI) that leverages nanoparticle technology to read from and write to the brain. With a dual-system approach using plasmonic and magnetoelectric nanoparticles, Subsense aims to deliver a new standard in neurotechnology – bypassing traditional surgical implants to enable precision brain interaction through minimally invasive deliver. From treating neurological conditions like Parkinson’s to ultimately facilitating seamless human-AI integration, Subsense is building toward a future in which the boundaries between biology and technology are blurred.
The company recently emerged from stealth mode, announcing a $17 million seed funding round and unveiling its ambitious roadmap. Subsense’s platform is being developed with leading academic collaborators and incorporates advanced AI to design next-gen nanostructures – opening doors to medical applications and far-reaching implications for cognitive enhancement. The startup plans to begin preclinical demonstrations in mice, with a target to show closed-loop neural stimulation and symptom modulation for neurodegenerative conditions by 2026.
Longevity.Technology: We’ve been tracking the convergence of neurotech, biotech and AI closely – and Subsense sits right at this cutting edge. CEO and cofounder Tetiana Aleksandrova is a pioneer building at the edge of possibility, and we sat down with her to find out just how the technology works and the clinical pathways being explored, discussing nanoparticle delivery via the olfactory nerve and the ethics and regulation of future brain augmentation. Plus, we discuss the company’s ultimate vision: a direct neural interface with AI that could change how humans interact with knowledge itself.
Tetiana Aleksandrova on…
From sci-fi to reality
Having worked in the industry for years developing brain-computer interfaces, I realized that with a completely noninvasive brain-computer interface, we will not be able to bring to life a device that would be able to do the things Ray Kurzweil has talked about – like we see in sci-fi movies.
With an invasive brain-computer interface, there is still a huge limitation for a wide audience because it’s still a surgery; so we were trying to find a way to create a device that would be the same, with the same accuracy as invasive brain-computer interface, but non-surgical. That’s why we developed nanoparticles. Subsense is developing a brain-computer interface based on nanoparticles; we are creating two different types of nanoparticles, one for reading and one for stimulation.
We are planning to show in mice – hopefully in a couple of years or even less – how we can treat symptoms of Parkinson’s, maybe even Alzheimer’s. People already use deep brain stimulation for treating the symptoms, and our nanoparticles can be a replacement for this to some extent. In some way, we can replace deep brain stimulation, so no surgical approach is needed. These nanoparticles will enter the brain through the nose or through the blood, so it should be much safer than other more invasive or surgical approaches.
A nose for therapy
We are working on two approaches for nanoparticles to get into the brain – firstly, through the nose and secondly, through the blood. Through the nose is our best case scenario as that means we can skip the blood-brain barrier as the nanoparticles will go through the olfactory nerve, directly from the nose to the brain, to the olfactory bulb. And from there, they will be able to travel around the brain.
There are two completely different nanoparticles and they work completely differently. The ones that do neuro-reading are plasmonic nanoparticles which consist of a thin layer of gold and also an electrochromic polymer. Imagine a device on the head that sends near infrared light that can go through the scalp and get to the plasmonic nanoparticles. And this is how it typically works – the plasmonic nanoparticles send the signal back with a certain frequency. But, if next to this plasmonic nanoparticle, there is a neuron that has activity next to the plasmonic nanoparticles, then the frequency of the signal changes. Our device catches the different signal, which means that next to this plasmonic nanoparticles is neural activity – that’s how we know where exactly it is.
For neuro-stimulation, the nanoparticles and technology are completely different. This time it is magnetoelectrical nanoparticles and this technology is based on the piezoelectric effect. We stimulate our nanoparticles with magnetic fields and these nanoparticles deform; this deformation produces electrical fields that affect the neurons located next to the nanoparticles.
To singularity and beyond?
Our main approach, our main goal, is to create safe and efficient brain-computer interface for healthy individuals – exactly what Ray Kurzweil talked about. It’s a complete synergy between technology and human being. Imagine that you can hack your brain – it’s not the chemicals in your brain controlling you, but you’re controlling them. And that is what we’re trying to focus on.
Of course, this will take some time, and of course, on the way there, we will create certain medical applications, treating different symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, restoring vision function, motor function. So we’re starting from a medical application, but our end goal, our main goal, is to change the way we interact with the digital world completely. So we won’t have any more any phones, any laptops, we will just have everything in our heads, communicating wirelessly.
I hope the world is waiting.
Images courtesy of Subsense
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