You Need to Meet Melyne Zhou, A 16-Year-Old Innovator Pushing the Boundaries of Bioelectricity and Diverse Intelligence

At sixteen, Melyne Zhou is already at the frontier of bioelectricity and diverse intelligence, exploring how electrical signals shape life itself. Her research spans cancer treatment, regenerative medicine, and robotics — fields she navigates with a precision beyond her years.

From chemical engineering labs to speaking at Web Summit, Melyne moves between disciplines with a singular focus: decoding the invisible forces that govern biology. In a world racing toward technological transformation, she isn’t just keeping up—she’s helping to chart the course.

What first drew you to the crossroads of bioelectricity and diverse intelligence? Was it curiosity, necessity, or something else entirely?

I didn’t get into bioelectricity until my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 3 endometrial cancer two years ago. I got a firsthand view into the available treatments and became obsessed with understanding cancer progression.

That’s when I came across bioelectricity. The past 20–30 years of biology research have revolved around targeting DNA and proteins with CRISPR and gene editing. But if the genome is the hardware of biology, bioelectricity is the software. It turns out all cells in our bodies communicate with bioelectric signals the same way neurons do — through changes in membrane potential over time!

Some of the frontier research in bioelectricity revolves around understanding bioelectric patterns that trigger larger-scale biological phenomena, from cancer development to regeneration. As I explored deeper into the field of bioelectricity, I came across the field of diverse intelligence.

With this view, the intelligence of a system depends on what it can do — how it behaves when we put it through tests — and not just on what it’s made of. In other words, diverse intelligence is about intelligence beyond the brain, from robotics to simple biological organisms.

While I was drawn to these fields because I cared about their impact on cancer development, I also love them because of their broad impact not only on cancer treatment but also on fields like robotics and bioengineering.

What are some of the most exciting applications you’re imagining for your research on bioelectric patterns in relation to cancer or morphogenesis?

So many! In biomedicine, the big goal for bioelectricity is to be able to program the behaviour and function of cells in larger structures the way we can rewrite the genome — developing the bioelectric code.

This would mean we could reprogram tumours back into normal cells. Or create biological nanobots — such as Anthrobots — to aid in surgery in hard-to-reach organs. Or even enable full-body regeneration for regenerative medicine and organ transplants.

More long-term, I believe we’ll be able to take these principles from biology and apply them to other fields, from robotics to machine learning, to understand how to create systems to achieve target goals.

You’ve worked in a range of labs, from chemical engineering to robotics labs. How have these different experiences shaped your approach to scientific research?

I’ve been very lucky to get hands-on experience in a ton of different skills, from materials synthesis to data analysis in robotics to gene expression analysis.

When I worked in a chemical engineering lab, I got to understand the process of creating membranes and working with bio-based materials. In a materials science and robotics lab, I explored how automation and robotics could be used to develop materials faster. When I worked in a lab focused on cancer and regeneration, I learned about growing organoids and techniques for characterizing tumour cell lines.

These experiences helped me figure out what I truly enjoy and where my strengths lie. They’ve also made me more well-rounded, and with each new research project, I’ve fallen in love with science a little more.

What is it like to present your work at such large tech conferences such as Web Summit, and what do you hope others take away from your presentations?

Speaking at such an exciting conference was an amazing experience, and even now, I’m still struggling to process it. I met incredible people and had great conversations — but more than anything, it was really cool to speak in front of a huge crowd about something I love.

I hope that through speaking on these stages, I can inspire others and show that you can work in science and technology — even when you’re young!

To other young people who want to make an impact on the world: you can do it! When I first started out, there were so many things I didn’t think I could do because I never saw myself as a “STEM person.” But as I explored new fields — reading papers, learning to code — I realized that being the best at something right away isn’t the goal. Keep an open mind. Give yourself time to grow. You might find you enjoy something more than you ever expected.

As a 16-year-old, what advice would you offer to other young people who want to dive into interdisciplinary fields, or even pursue their own scientific passions?

Something I wish I had told myself earlier — give yourself some grace!

Challenging yourself to learn and build outside your comfort zone is always a good thing. But you’re not expected to know everything, especially when you’re young.

It can be overwhelming to dive into a new field when it feels like there’s so much you don’t know. But everyone starts somewhere, and sometimes that means putting out something imperfect just to learn from your mistakes.

What kind of projects or ideas excite you the most? What would be your dream project or collaboration in your field?

I’m always excited by work at the bleeding edge of a field — ideas that challenge the status quo. Whether or not they turn out to be right, they push me to question the limits of what I believe is possible.

I also love multidisciplinary projects — like building organ-on-a-chip devices, which combine tissue engineering, microfluidics, mechanical and materials engineering, and more. The best projects bring together people from all kinds of backgrounds, sparking the most creative, out-of-the-box ideas.

It may be because I’m young, but I always gravitate toward ideas that sound like science fiction — full-body regeneration, growing brains on chips. I have too many dream projects to count, but I’d love to bring together behavioural psychologists, bioengineers, roboticists, and neuroscientists to create biohybrid systems.

What do you love the most about what you do and why?

I love the process of creating something new — taking an idea and bringing it to life.

Scientific research is incredibly rewarding. Sometimes it feels like you’re banging your head against a wall, but when things finally work, it’s all worth it. There’s something magical about seeing your membrane come out in one piece, fixing a bug in your code, or watching cells come into focus under a microscope.

What advice would you offer to aspiring young women?

Find great mentors.

Especially when entering fields I had little experience in, it was the women role models I met early on who inspired me and gave me the confidence to believe I could do it too. So much of what I’ve accomplished is thanks to the people who have helped, supported, and advocated for me. I’m eternally grateful for my mentors.

Look for mentors both within and outside your field. Some will help develop your technical skills, while others might give general life advice. And remember — you don’t have to take every piece of advice to heart. Everyone comes from a different background, so talking to a range of people helps you learn about the many different paths you can take.

What about you surprises people?

Until two or three years ago, I didn’t think of myself as a “STEM person” at all.

I always loved the arts — music, poetry, writing. My dream was to become an author. What’s cool is that when I started exploring science and technology, I found that I could still do what I loved — creating new worlds from ideas.

I’ve since learned not to box myself into an identity.

If you had an extra hour in your day, how would you spend it?

Falling down rabbit holes.

I love exploring random fields that don’t seem related to what I’m working on. More often than not, they end up becoming relevant later.

What excites you about the future?

I believe we’re in the midst of major technological revolutions, from bioelectricity to robotics. I’m excited to see how these fields develop — and even more excited to be part of it.