Research Scientist Intern; Summer

We are Promega - an international biotech company made up of scientists and non-scientists, with over 4,000 high-quality products that have been sparking inspiration and discovery in science for over 40 years. We support scientists researching life and disease, pharma companies developing new treatments, forensic labs matching DNA from crime scenes and clinical labs running and confirming health tests – and that’s just the beginning.

** This internship is intended for graduate-level students. Preference will be given to PhD candidates in forensic science or a closely related field; master's students will be considered only if they are specifically enrolled in a forensics program. Undergraduate students are not eligible for this role.**

The Genetic Identity R&D team develops the short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping systems used by forensic, paternity and human identification laboratories around the world. Our work spans the full development path: multiplex PCR chemistry, allelic ladder design and formulation, and capillary electrophoresis method development. The systems we build are used to resolve criminal casework, identify missing persons, and establish biological relationships, so the accuracy and robustness of what we do matters directly to the people who rely on those results.

We are a collaborative group whose work combines bench science with a substantial amount of data analysis. We are actively building out AI-assisted analysis tools to make our development and documentation work faster and more reproducible. We like solving hard technical problems, and we make a point of teaching each other what we learn.

As a Genetic Identity R&D Intern, you will work directly with a Senior Research Scientist on active STR system development projects. Your time will be split between the laboratory and the computer. In the lab, you will formulate and amplify allelic ladder mixes, prepare and run samples on capillary electrophoresis instruments, and carry out supporting PCR and quantification work. On the analysis side, you will process genotyping data to evaluate locus balance against performance specifications, build the tables and charts that drive formulation decisions, and support the development of AI tools to assist this work.

You will document your work in our electronic laboratory notebook and present your results to the team. You will also be encouraged to use, and to help improve, the AI-assisted tools we apply to data analysis and documentation. By the end of the summer, you will understand how a commercial forensic STR system is actually built.

You are a graduate student in genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, forensic science, or a related field. You have hands‑on laboratory experience. You are comfortable working with data as well as at the bench. You can organize a dataset, notice when something does not look right, and clearly explain those findings. You are reliable, and your work and education history demonstrate your motivation and attention to detail.

You are curious about forensic DNA analysis and about how we develop products used by forensics labs around the world. You enjoy working as part of a team and want to develop both your technical skills and your scientific communication.

The intern will support and participate in Genetic Identity R&D laboratory and data analysis activities as assigned by the supervising Senior Research Scientist. Activities may include PCR amplification, capillary electrophoresis (CE) sample preparation and analysis, evaluation of short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping data against performance specifications, and support in the development of AI tools to aid in the analysis of STR…