An Australian consortium led by the University of Melbourne has been awarded $2.1 million AUD ($1.47 million USD) by the Australian Government’s Critical Technologies Challenge Program (CTCP) to develop a quantum-enabled “brain-on-chip” platform. The project aims to accelerate the discovery and screening of treatments for neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. By integrating 3D human neural micro-tissues with quantum sensing, the platform provides a high-resolution, real-time method to measure functional neural activity, offering a more accurate preclinical model than traditional animal or 2D cellular studies.
The technical core of the platform involves integrating Tessara Therapeutics’ RealBrain® 3D micro-tissues with a diamond-based quantum sensing approach developed by Chromos Labs. This method, known as Diamond Voltage Imaging Microscopy (DVIM), utilizes diamond micropillar arrays to optically detect millivolt-scale electrical signals from neurons without the need for invasive electrodes or potentially toxic fluorescent labels. In its current phase, the consortium is expanding the sensor’s field of view to capture comprehensive network-state data across entire micro-tissue cultures.
The consortium includes Quantum Brilliance, which provides the manufacturing pathway for scalable diamond sensor chips, and Axol Biosciences, which supplies standardized human iPSC-derived neurons. This interdisciplinary effort seeks to de-risk neurological drug development—historically one of the most failure-prone areas in biopharma—by providing human-relevant data early in the pipeline. Successful validation of the prototype could significantly reduce the reliance on expensive human trials by allowing researchers to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and toxicity in a laboratory setting.
For further details on the diamond voltage imaging technology and the consortium’s roadmap, consult the official announcement from the University of Melbourne here.
March 3, 2026
