Fall internships in industry

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on everyday life were just beginning to be felt nationwide when I last wrote about internships in industry back in March. It’s hard to believe that we’re still experiencing these unprecedented effects now that summer has arrived.

Regardless, companies and universities have started to turn their attention to the fall, now knowing full well the pandemic will still be present. Many have come up with creative solutions to still keep their programming as scheduled, so I've rounded up some of the fall internships opportunities available in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

If you’re interested in this career path, internships can be a great way to start out and gain insight into how industry jobs work. In some cases, they might even be the best way to break in (such as in regulatory affairs, as highlighted in my last industry career column, in case you missed it).

Many graduate and undergraduate programs allow students to participate in internships during regular semesters, but make sure to have a conversation with your adviser first to make sure it’s OK for you. It’s always better to have everyone on board to make sure you can smoothly continue on your path toward graduation.

So, here’s a collection of just some of the internships available in biotech and pharma for the fall. And don’t forget to check back on our previous columns on reworking your résumé for industry and embracing what makes you different if you need any inspiration.

Happy applying!

Aldevron is a research and development biosciences company based in Madison, Wisconsin, that touches on everything from plasmid DNA to antibodies. The company has a 16-week internship and is looking specifically for a Ph.D. student to work on projects in the area of recombinant protein expression and purification. To apply, visit the careers section of the Aldevron website.

Cibus, a biotechnology company in San Diego that focuses on developing gene-editing technologies for use in plants, is looking to hire an undergraduate intern in plant cell biology. The internship is in person for the fall term and is paid. Cibus is specifically seeking someone who can use their molecular biology or cellular biology background to research questions aobut plant gene editing.

Clara Foods in San Francisco is looking for an undergraduate or graduate bioprocess intern to join its research and development team. The internship is full time for six months. If food science and biochemistry are your thing, this is a great internship to apply for.

Genentech, a biotechnology company headquartered in San Francisco, hires interns at all degree levels and in a variety of fields. My last career column featured Kendra Seckinger, who got her start in regulatory affairs in industry through an internship with Genentech. Their internships are paid and typically open to international students as well. The company currently has openings for internships in developmental sciences, product development and pharmaceutical technical operations. Visit the Genentech website and search for positions open for “Interns/ Postdocs” to see all opportunities and apply!

Neurona Therapeutics in the San Francisco area specializes in cell-based therapies to treat neurological disorders. Neurona has a few opportunities for the fall. One is a 12-week clinical intern program for recent graduates, and the other is an R&D-based visiting scientist program for Ph.D. holders early in their careers. This program lets researchers apply their prior training to Neurona’s scientific programs and also learn new techniques to expand their scientific skillsets. Information about both programs and how to apply can be found on Neurona’s website under “Current Opportunities.”

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company and has U.S. offices based out of New Jersey. The company has a variety of fall opportunities, including fellowships for postdocs, fall semester internships for undergraduates, and hands-on training experiences for graduate students. The complete list of opportunities can be found on the company's website. Applications are closing soon, so apply now!

SiPhox Inc. is looking for an intern in biochemistry/CRISPR diagnostics to help develop sensitive at-home COVID-19 tests. SiPhox is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is preferentially seeking graduate students but will accept applications from undergrads as well. The position is paid, and you can apply through this posting on indeed.com or through the company's open positions website.