Intern, Biophysics & Protein Sciences Group

The Opportunity:

The Biophysics and Protein Sciences Group generates target proteins to support drug discovery efforts. We currently utilize heterologous overexpression systems, including bacterial and insect cell expression, and purify proteins using a variety of approaches (e.g., bulk purification, FPLC, immunoprecipitation). To maximize our capacity to test multiple construct designs and rapidly determine which proteins can be reliably produced, we are actively developing a small-scale expression and purification (SmScExpPur) platform along with a series of protocols spanning the full workflow: from construct design through small-scale expression testing, purification, and quality control. The summer intern will contribute to this ongoing effort by owning a defined set of experiments aimed at further developing and evaluating SmScExpPur protocols, with the goal of improving protein yield, consistency, and quality. This will include executing small-scale expression and purification experiments, analyzing outcomes across constructs and conditions, and contributing data-driven recommendations for protocol improvements. Proteins generated through this work will be used to perform basic QC assessments to evaluate protein identity, aggregation state, and folding.

Required Skills, Experience and Education:

• Prior hands-on laboratory experience in an academic or industry setting.

• Strong attention to detail and experimental rigor.

• Clear written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience with basic laboratory techniques, including pipetting.

• Experience documenting experiments through protocols, laboratory notebooks, laboratory reports, or research papers.

• Familiarity with bacterial transformation and/or recombinant protein expression workflows.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with insect cell expression systems.

• Experience with protein purification techniques (e.g., affinity purification, FPLC).

• Interest or experience in protocol development, optimization, or troubleshooting.

• Experience with liquid handling or semi-automated laboratory systems. 

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