Post Undergraduate​/Graduate Intern – Molecular Biology

Posting Title

Post Undergraduate/Graduate Intern – Molecular Biology . Location CO - Golden . Position Type Intern (Fixed Term) . Hours Per Week 40 . Working at NLR

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future.

Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories.

We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

The RRES Center at NLR has an opening for a full-time post undergraduate/graduate internship within the Synthetic Biology and Bioconversion group. Responsibilities for this intern will focus on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology to generate, screen, and optimize engineered bacterial strains for production of renewable fuels and chemicals from various biomass-derived intermediates and/or C1 molecules. In collaboration with postdoctoral researchers and research scientists, the intern will engineer strains to validate physiological hypotheses.

In addition, the successful candidate will have the following:

• Excellent organizational skills, including contemporary laboratory notebook documentation
• Attention to detail
• Proficient communication skills, including the ability to succinctly communicate scientific findings to peers
• Critical thinking skills, including the ability to formulate hypotheses and interpret results
• Ability to maintain a clean lab space with utmost attention to safety
• Demonstrated ability to work safely with minimal supervision

Please note this will likely be a 3-month internship.

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Undergraduate:
  Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Undergraduate:
  Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate:
  Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Graduate:
  Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate + PhD:
  Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.

• Demonstrated experience in molecular biology, including DNA cloning and transformation.
• Demonstrated experience in microbiology, including sterile techniques.

• Experience with genetic engineering of Cupriavidus necator
• Experience designing synthetic operons and constructing plasmids
• Experience with biological conversion of C1 substrates
• Experience with computational data analysis, e.g., skills in Python or R.

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range: $39,600 - $63,400. NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new…