2026 PhD Residency - Electrochemical Sensors, Early Stage Project

THE FOUNDATION OF AN AMAZING JOURNEY

Our goal at X is to make the world a radically better place. In order to do that we seek fresh unexpected perspectives, from different fields, and that’s why we’re excited about you. 

Life here isn’t easy, but it’s fun. We’re trying to build things most people can’t even imagine, and we’re doing it with the hope of making a huge, positive impact on the world. You’ll be embedded into a moonshot project, where you’ll partner with team members to solve key challenges. 

This isn’t your ordinary internship. You’ll be positively challenged and pushed professionally, in ways that you may have never experienced. If this excites you - keep reading.

DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP YOU CAN EXPECT:

• To be placed on one of our confidential or public X projects
• To get paid competitively and with Google benefits
• To be part of a lively community of other Interns and Residents 
• To attend colloquium and discussions with team leads from across Google, DeepMind and external organizations

DETAILS:

• Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
• Start Date(s): Year-round rolling basis
• Duration: a flexible 6 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability

REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be actively enrolled in an academic program and working towards completing a PhD

How you will make 10X Impact: 

• Deliver innovative sensor designs to support the development of a continuous monitoring system with unprecedented sensitivity
• Be fearless in diving deep, asking questions, proposing solutions
• Design and execute rigorous experiments (e.g., low-current measurement protocol, guarding strategies) to quantify performance envelopes and inform hardware roadmaps for wearable biosensors.
• Accelerate the project path from assay development to wearable implementation by working with the broader team to integrate the electrochemical sensors with the microfluidic platform.
• Have fun!

What you should have:

• Deep theoretical and practical expertise in electrochemical methods, particularly chronoamperometry and voltammetry, for biomarker quantification in the pA–nA current regime.
• Direct experience in designing, fabricating, and characterizing electrochemical sensors, preferably for wearable applications.
• Strong hardware and firmware skills in potentiostat or analog front-end (AFE) design, with experience characterizing commercial solutions (e.g., AD5940) and developing hybrid architectures.
• Ability to work in the Mountain View office full time.

It’d be great if you also had these: 

• Advanced data analysis skills for processing and interpreting transient current signatures to boost signal-to-noise ratio and diagnose real-world issues like electrode fouling and baseline drift.
• In vivo sensor design experience including design and synthesis of electrochemical mediators/reporters and antifouling membranesSoftware skills in Python for automating laboratory workflows, and data processing.
• Passion for radical impact and a deep commitment to leveraging transformative technology to solve global challenges and build a better world.
• Interest in leveraging AI to optimize research methodologies and enhance scientific productivity

Additional public information:

• https://www.wired.com/video/watch/astro-teller-captain-of-moonshots-at-x-speaks-at-wired25 
• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-10-10/alphabet-x-s-astro-teller-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-video 

The US base salary range for this position is $120,000 - $147,000 + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include benefits.