Intern - Life Science or related - Discovery and Technology

Internship Opportunity in Life Sciences – Discovery and Technology

We are looking for a motivated third-year or fourth-year BSc or MSc student in life sciences, biochemistry, or biotechnology, preferably with at least one prior internship!

Do you want to know what it's like to be part of one of the largest multinational companies in the pharmaceutical industry? We offer an internship opportunity within our Discovery and Technology (D&T) department where you will have the freedom and space for your own initiative.

Intern - BSc or MSc student - Discovery and Technology (D&T) department

Welcome to our team

The Discovery and Technology (D&T) department is an essential hub in our organization. This department conducts proof-of-concept research into novel vaccine technologies and therapies and plays a key role in interacting with the R&D community to identify and evaluate potential new leads relevant to Animal Health. The D&T organization consists of cross-linked teams responsible for development research and early development of vaccines and therapies against viral, bacterial, and parasitological diseases. Within the multidisciplinary teams, specialists in the fields of virology, bacteriology, antigen discovery, vaccine formulation, molecular biology, immunology, assay development, and cell biology work together.

Your internship assignment:

This internship involves supporting the development and optimization of a novel CRISPR-based diagnostic platform capable of detecting both DNA- and RNA-based viruses, with a focus on differentiating wild-type from vaccine strains. Building on a successful proof-of-concept, the project aims to extend the platform’s diagnostic capabilities for use in animal health.

Your responsibilities

• Test the system on a range of clinical samples (e.g., nasal washes, saliva, serum), including non-extracted samples, to assess the feasibility of field-ready viral detection.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of amplification-free detection workflows, aiming to simplify the assay, reduce turnaround time, and enable quantitative, point-of-care applications.
• Design and test high-specificity crRNAs for distinguishing between closely related viral strains (e.g., canine parvovirus variants with single nucleotide differences), evaluating performance against conventional PCR methods.
• Analyze assay results to identify patterns, troubleshoot inconsistencies, and optimize system performance through iterative improvements.
• Bring forward new ideas to support system versatility and diagnostic accuracy, helping bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world field application.

The above-mentioned responsibilities are an indication of what you will be doing after proper onboarding and initial learning and development. This provides you with the opportunity to learn and hereafter perform tasks independently. In consultation with your supervisor, you could take on additional tasks and responsibilities.

We are looking for:

• A last year BSc or a MSc student in a biology related field.
• You are familiar with molecular biology techniques.
• You are enthusiastic about finding creative solutions to real biological problems.
• You are searching for an internship where you have the freedom to take initiative.
• You are fluent in English.
• You are available for 5 days a week for a period of 6 to 9 months.

What we offer:

• A broad-based internship, which allows you to get acquainted with many aspects of the field and there to gain experience, with enough room for own initiative.
• A challenging and dynamic learning environment with a lot of space for personal development.
• A challenging and dynamic work environment with lots of space to develop yourself.
• Professional guidance by an experienced specialist.
• A placement fee of €500 gross per month (based on a 40-hour week).

Animal Health

Our Animal Health Division is a trusted global leader in veterinary medicine, dedicated to preserving and improving health, well-being, and performance of animals and the people who care for them. We are a global team of professionals working together to make a positive difference in animal care and the world’s food supply and have a deep sense of responsibility towards our customers, consumers, animals, society, and our planet.

Through our commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, we offer veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of digitally connected identification, traceability and monitoring products. We invest in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. We are present in more than 50 countries, while our products are available in some 150 markets.

Required Skills:

• Analytical Problem Solving
• Assay Development
• Biotechnology
• Cell-Based Assays
• Clinical Research
• Communication
• Data Analytics
• Database Management
• Data Entry
• Data Visualization
• Document Management
• Global Supply Chain
• Health Economics
• Immunoassays
• Management Process
• Medical Virology
• Molecular Biology
• Office Applications
• Personal Development
• Process Improvements
• Project Management
• Reporting and Analysis
• Task Coordination

About Us

We are one company, but we operate under two different corporate brand names. We are known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA in the United States, Canada & Puerto Rico. We are known as MSD everywhere else.