Experimental Fermentation Lab (EFL) Research Intern

Degree and area of specialization:

Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, chemical engineering, food science, data science, applied mathematics or relevant field.

Relevant experience:

·      Experience with microbial culturing and sterile techniques.

·      At least one year of laboratory research experience including experience with microbiology, bioprocessing, molecular biology, and biochemistry techniques.

·      Experience with data analysis, scripting, and coding (e.g., JMP, Python, R, MATLAB) is desirable but not required.

·      A basic understanding of microbial fermentation is preferred.

·      Strong laboratory record-keeping skill, scientific communication ability, and Excel spreadsheet/data analysis skills are also preferred.

Principal duties:

Successful candidates will work as part of a team within the Experimental Fermentation Lab (EFL) in the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC). The central goals of the EFL are to provide support for GLBRC research activities by providing various biomass hydrolysates and conversion residues, and its synthetic versions, technical expertise for fermentation experiments, as well as performing aqueous ammonia pretreatment, hydrolysis, and small-scale fermentations to study variability in biomass feedstocks.

This position will involve progressive training that will enable the intern to learn and perform the following:

·      Gain hands-on experience with bioreactors from various vendors, including training on hardware and software, sample collection for end-product analysis, and industry best practices for bioreactor operation.

·      Technical skills important for biomass-to-biofuel production, including aqueous ammonia pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and small-scale fermentations.

·      Conduct an independent research project, such as development and optimization of a fermentation bioprocess.

·      Explore the use of AI and ML algorithms to process online data, create predictive models, and build databases for bioprocess optimization.

·      Assist in preparing microbial media, fermentation reagents, and supplies as well as assisting in the organization and maintenance of the lab.

·      Contribute to scientific publications and present research findings at conferences.

Successful candidates must be well-organized and self-motivated, have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy working both independently and as part of a team. A flexible working schedule is expected, which could include infrequent work at non-standard times and on weekends. Because much of the research involves collaboration between different research groups, both experience working with multiple client groups and excellent time-management skills are encouraged.