About the job
At Merge Labs, we are pioneering research that merges biological and artificial intelligence to enhance human capability, autonomy, and overall experience. Our mission is to create innovative brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that seamlessly interact with the brain at high bandwidth, integrate with cutting-edge AI, and ensure safety and accessibility for all users.
About Our Team:
Our Bio team is at the forefront of designing, constructing, and characterizing the biotechnologies essential for next-generation BCIs. We leverage molecular engineering, synthetic biology, and neuroscience, alongside advanced physical techniques such as ultrasound, to establish minimally invasive, high-bandwidth neuron connections. The Bio team is responsible for developing and validating our core molecular technologies, assessing their performance in both in vitro and in vivo environments, and showcasing their capabilities in animal models. We create bespoke experimental setups and workflows, collaborating closely with engineers and data scientists to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in biotechnology.
About the Role:
As a Protein Engineer at our BCI company, you will be instrumental in designing, building, and optimizing biomolecules that translate neuronal activity into comprehensible signals. Your contributions will facilitate precise modulation between cellular and machine languages.
You will engage with a range of unconventional proteins—from innovative biosensors to membrane proteins and intricate multi-component assemblies. Utilizing your biophysical expertise and high-throughput experimental methods, along with close collaboration with our computational team, you will push the limits of these molecules' functionalities. Your work will lay the molecular groundwork for advanced brain-computer interfaces.
Key Responsibilities:
Design and Execute Protein Engineering Strategies: From rational design and computational modeling to directed evolution and combinatorial library approaches, you will create dynamic molecular systems with desirable traits.
High-Throughput Protein Variant Characterization: Rapidly test and refine hypotheses by implementing and optimizing scalable workflows from library generation to expression in various in vitro systems and conducting both standard and custom assays.
Collaboration with Computational Team: Work closely to develop models that correlate sequences and structures to functional properties.

