Intern, Cancer Immunotherapy with Lipid Nano Particle (LNP) Vaccine (BS)

Position description:

Calico is seeking an intern to join the Immunology-Oncology team. To succeed, you will need to be an enthusiastic team player, detail-oriented, extremely organized and comfortable working on complex problems.  In this position you will help design mRNA vaccines to be delivered via lipid nano particles (LNP) and will assess DC (dendritic cell) targeting efficiency and cellular activation for impact on immuno-therapy in an in vivo mouse tumor model. The successful candidate will work closely with members of the Immunology-Oncology team on DC vaccine research, LNP formulation, and DNA/mRNA vaccine design for cancer immunotherapy.

Responsibilities: 

• Formulate several Lipid Nano Particles (LNP) for in vivo delivery
• Design DNA/mRNA for inclusion in LNPs as vaccines and explore how LNP vaccine formulation and payload influence DC maturation
• Investigate how the immune system responds after delivering LNP vaccine in the tumor microenvironment

Position requirements:

• Currently pursuing a BS degree in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Chemistry or related field
• Experience working with mammalian cell culture, and multi-color flow cytometry
• Experience with in vivo mouse models highly desired
• Knowledge of immunology, lipid nano particles (LNP), in vivo gene delivery, mRNA tumor vaccine
• Detail-oriented and organized
• Strong teamwork and communication skills
• Self-motivated with a “can-do” attitude
• Flexible, able to respond quickly to shifting priorities and able to multitask.

Nice to have:

• Experience with standard laboratory molecular biology software packages, RNA biology, in vivo gene delivery, mouse primary immune cell culture
• Knowledge of immunology, lipid nano particles (LNP), in vivo gene delivery, mRNA tumor vaccine

About our Program:

Calico’s internship program is a paid 12-week program over the summer for students interested in understanding the fundamental science of aging and finding treatments for the associated and intractable diseases. Working in a collaborative environment and fully embedded in one of our labs/teams, Calico interns tackle a unique project under the mentorship of at least one of our scientists or engineers. Students from all schools, and students who identify with a demographic that is underrepresented within the technology, data science, and healthcare industries are encouraged to apply. This includes but is not limited to Black, Latinx, Native American, students with disabilities, veterans, and non-binary people.

Program Features:

• 3-month summer timeline
• In-person experience at our offices in South San Francisco
• Matching with at least one Calico mentor
• Group supplemental activities weekly featuring guest speakers, Senior Leadership spotlights, and discussion groups on aging science, our drug development approach, and more
• End-of-summer company-wide project showcase and poster session
• Competitive compensation ($40 - $65/hour) and monthly living expenses stipend