About Us

At Cortical Labs, we have integrated machine learning, engineering, and neuroscience to develop Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI). Our work focuses on using biological neurons as a functional component of computing systems to create technology that is adaptive and resource-efficient.

To achieve this, we operate within a multidisciplinary framework. Our team develops the software for real-time closed-loop systems and the hardware necessary to support the neural cultures. We are focused on the practical application of biological intelligence in digital environments, robotics, and scientific research.

We are driven by curiosity regarding how a system born from the physical world interacts with digital platforms. We seek resourceful individuals who value intellectual honesty and the challenge of discovery to help us explore the implications of this technology. If you are interested in the intersection of biology and computing, we invite you to join our team.

To date, we have successfully developed and launched our CL1 product that demonstrates real-time learning in neural systems and have just launched our cloud service for global access to these systems. For a deeper dive into our research, check out our recent paper at Neuron, a video explainer from Reuters and explore our work on GitHub.

For more insights into what we do, explore the following links:

• Forbes Article
• Twitter Overview
• Gizmodo Article
• Introduction to Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI) and Cortical Labs
• Human Neurons playing Doom on Cortical Cloud

Who We're Seeking

We’re looking for an early-career scientist with strong hands-on cell culture experience and a genuine interest in the intersection of biology, neuroscience and computing.

You will be comfortable working in a laboratory environment, maintaining high experimental standards and contributing within a multidisciplinary team. The right person will be scientifically curious, practical, collaborative and motivated by the opportunity to help develop a new category of biological computing technology.

You Have:

• An Honours degree or equivalent qualification in cell biology, molecular biology, synthetic biology, neuroscience, bioengineering or a related discipline.
• Experience working in a PC2 or equivalent laboratory environment.
• Hands-on experience with in vitro cell culture and stem cell biology.
• Experience developing, maintaining and expanding induced pluripotent stem cell cultures.
• Experience differentiating stem cells into neuronal cultures.
• Strong scientific method, experimental design and analytical capability.
• The ability to maintain accurate experimental records and prepare clear progress updates and reports.
• The ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams spanning biology, hardware and software.

Preferred Experience

• Experience developing or maintaining neural organoids.
• Experience with iPSC development, maintenance and expansion.
• Familiarity with electrophysiology, particularly multielectrode array systems.
• Experience phenotyping neuronal cultures using immunochemistry, RNA analysis or protein expression assays.
• Advanced statistical analysis experience.
• Experience with gene-editing techniques, including CRISPR-Cas9.
• Experience contributing to scientific publications, presentations or conferences.
• Previous experience in academia, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals or another laboratory-based research environment

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain and expand stem cell cultures, including induced pluripotent stem cells.
• Differentiate stem cells into neuronal cultures.
• Develop and maintain neural organoids.
• Phenotype neuronal cultures using immunochemistry, RNA and protein expression assays.
• Run electrophysiological assays to assess neural culture performance.
• Use Cortical Labs’ proprietary software and hardware to test and evaluate neural cultures.
• Support the development and refinement of experimental protocols and cell culture processes.
• Analyse and interpret experimental data.
• Prepare regular reports covering progress, experimental outcomes and key findings.
• Collaborate with colleagues across biology, neuroscience, hardware, software and data.
• Contribute to scientific writing, research communications and broader engagement with the scientific community.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first few months, you will have developed a strong understanding of Cortical Labs’ cell culture workflows, experimental systems and laboratory standards. You will be able to maintain healthy cultures reliably, follow and refine established protocols, and contribute effectively to ongoing research activities.

Over time, success will mean:

• Consistent and reliable maintenance of stem cell and neuronal cultures.
• Successful differentiation of iPSCs into high-quality neuronal cultures.
• Accurate and reproducible execution of assays and experiments.
• Clear identification and troubleshooting of culture or experimental issues.
• High-quality experimental documentation, reporting and data interpretation.
• Productive collaboration across scientific and technical disciplines.
• Meaningful contributions to improved protocols, research outcomes and scientific communications.
• Growing independence in managing experiments and contributing to Cortical Labs’ wider research direction.

Benefits

At Cortical Labs, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your professional and personal well-being. Here's what you can expect:

• Opportunity to define and scale a core platform at the frontier of neuroscience and computing.
• Collaborative, innovative, and mission-driven culture.
• Competitive compensation and benefits.
• Flexible work arrangements and supportive team environment.
• Office located in the heart of Melbourne’s innovation district.

Diversity and Inclusion

We believe in building a diverse and inclusive team and we encourage applications from women, non-binary individuals, and underrepresented groups in tech. We value a wide range of experiences and career paths, and we know that not everyone will meet every criterion listed. If this role aligns with your experience and interests, we encourage you to apply.

At Cortical Labs, we believe the next revolution in computing won’t come from silicon alone. If you’re excited about the idea of running lab operations for a dynamic team (or similar) working with real living neurons, advanced computing infrastructure, and a world-class team - we encourage you to apply.