After Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) downsized its Live Labs research group earlier this month, the group insisted in a blog post that it was “not shutting down, disbanding, dismantling, or anything of the sort” and that its “most ambitious and exciting projects are yet to come.” That obviously was not enough to keep Greg Linden, a top Live Labs engineer (pictured, right), from leaving the group, whose mission is to speed up innovation in the company’s online business. In a blog post Sunday, Linden said that “with the dissolution of much of Live Labs, I have decided to resign from Microsoft.”

SEE ALSO: Microsoft Breaks Up Its Live Labs Group

Linden’s departure is noteworthy because he was a prominent hire at Live Labs. He is credited with writing the recommendation engine used by Amazon.com (NSDQ: AMZN) to suggest products to purchase. He also started the news site Findory.com, which adjusted its listing of news stories to match a visitor’s interests. At Live Labs, he was working on a variety of projects, including improving the relevance of search results. Linden did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Linden said in an e-mail that he could not comment on the details of his departure.

Another prominent member of the Live Labs team, design director Don Lindsay, left last month for a new job at Research In Motion.