Job Description

The Opportunity
We are seeking a motivated and talented R&D Intern to join our dynamic research team. This is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience at the forefront of molecular diagnostics. You will contribute to the development and validation of our next-generation liquid biopsy assays, working alongside experienced scientists in both wet lab and computational settings. This role is ideal for an aspiring scientist eager to apply their academic knowledge to solve real-world challenges in oncology.
Key Responsibilities
As an R&D Intern, you will be involved in various stages of the assay development lifecycle. Your responsibilities may include a mix of the following, depending on your skills and interests:
Wet Lab Focus:

• Assist in the design, testing, and optimization of primers and probes for targeted nucleic acid amplification assays.
• Perform core molecular biology techniques, including PCR, qPCR, and RT-qPCR, to validate assay performance.
• Contribute to the optimization and validation of complex molecular assays, focusing on improving sensitivity, specificity, and robustness.
• Execute experiments involving nucleic acid extraction (DNA/RNA) from simulated and clinical sample types.
• Prepare reagents, maintain detailed and accurate laboratory notebooks, and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Analyze experimental data, summarize findings, and present results to the R&D team.

Dry Lab / Bioinformatics Focus:

• Support the analysis and interpretation of large-scale genomic datasets generated from internal validation studies and retrospective clinical cohorts.
• Assist in the bioinformatic processing of sequencing data and troubleshooting of analysis pipelines.
• Contribute to the preparation of data summaries and documentation for assay validation reports, potentially for clinical and regulatory purposes.
• Collaborate with scientists and bioinformaticians to correlate genomic data with clinical outcomes.

Qualifications
Required:

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a related scientific field.
• Solid theoretical understanding of core molecular biology principles (DNA/RNA, PCR, gene expression).
• Hands-on experience with basic lab techniques from university coursework or prior lab experience.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills.
• A proactive and enthusiastic learner with a strong desire to contribute to team goals.

Preferred:

• Previous lab experience with PCR, qPCR, or RT-qPCR.
• Familiarity with oligonucleotide design principles.
• Experience with DNA/RNA handling and analysis.
• Basic proficiency in a scripting language for data analysis (e.g., R or Python).
• Familiarity with common bioinformatics tools (e.g., BLAST, UCSC Genome Browser) is a plus.
• Experience with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) library preparation is highly desirable, but not mandatory.

What We Offer

• Direct mentorship from the R&D team from Lucence.
• Hands-on experience with state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies on liquid biopsy and NGS techniques.
• Exposure to the full R&D lifecycle, from discovery to clinical validation.
• A dynamic, innovative, and supportive company culture.
• A competitive internship stipend.

Skills Required