AI & Technology — 2026-04-14

Science Corporation Recruits Yale Neurosurgeon for First US Human Trials of Biohybrid Brain Interface

Science Corporation, founded by former Neuralink co-founder Max Hodak, enlisted Yale neurosurgery chair Dr. Murat Gunel to lead the first US human trials of a biohybrid brain-computer interface that uses lab-grown neurons to bridge biology and electronics. Unlike Neuralink's direct-insertion approach, the 520-electrode sensor sits atop the brain inside the skull. The company plans to bypass FDA approval, arguing the pea-sized device poses no significant risk. Initial candidates will be stroke patients already requiring craniotomy. Trials could begin by 2027 following a $230 million raise in March.

Analysis
Science Corp's decision to bypass FDA approval by classifying the device as non-significant risk is the most aggressive regulatory strategy in the BCI sector and will face scrutiny if complications arise during human trials. The biohybrid approach, lab-grown neurons bridging electronics and brain tissue, represents a fundamentally different engineering philosophy from Neuralink's direct-insertion electrodes, potentially offering better long-term biocompatibility at the cost of less precise initial signal resolution. Gunel's recruitment from Yale provides institutional credibility that the FDA's Institutional Review Board pathway typically requires, even without formal FDA oversight.

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Max Hodaks Science Corp. is preparing to place its first sensor in a human brain - TechCrunch