R&D Engineer Intern

Biohub is leading the new era of AI-powered biology to cure or prevent disease through its 501c3 medical research organization, with the support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

The Team

The Biohub is a group of nonprofit research institutes that bring together scientists, engineers, and physicians with the goal of pursuing grand scientific challenges on 10- to 15-year time horizons. The Biohub focuses on understanding underlying mechanisms of disease and developing new technologies that will lead to actionable diagnostics and effective therapies.

Our Vision

• We pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
• We enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
• The technologies developed at the Biohub facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond

Diversity of thought, ideas, and perspectives are at the heart of Biohub and enable disruptive innovation and scholarly excellence. We are committed to cultivating an organization where all colleagues feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution.

The Opportunity

The Biohub in Redwood Shores is seeking a highly motivated PhD-level student to join our 10-week Summer Internship Program, running from June 16, 2026, to August 21, 2026. R&D Engineering Interns are embedded within active platform teams and contribute directly to ongoing technology development efforts. Each project is carefully scoped to be achievable within the internship timeframe while delivering meaningful technical impact.

Interns will spend the summer immersed in real-world research alongside biomedical researchers, research scientists, data scientists, and engineers. In addition to gaining hands-on technical experience aligned to top scientific priorities, interns will develop critical professional skills—including scientific communication, problem-solving, and collaboration—and will have opportunities to build relationships with scientists who provide mentorship, guidance, and career insight.

Available Project Areas (Summer 2026)
​​CryoEM Sample Preparation & Grid Optimization for FIB Milling
This project focuses on improving EM grid quality for cryo-electron tomography and FIB milling workflows. The intern will design and execute experiments exploring photo-patterning approaches, leverage a newly installed high-pressure freezer, utilize a low-humidity glove box to minimize contamination during sample handling, and gain hands-on experience with plasma FIB-SEM instrumentation.

Working closely with CryoEM Platform scientists, the intern will test optimized samples on state-of-the-art instrumentation, analyze results, and iterate on protocols. By the end of the internship, the project is expected to deliver improved, well-documented sample preparation workflows that can be adopted into the CryoEM Platform pipeline.

What You'll Do

• Receive support through a 10-week experience
• Receive mentorship to support your personal and professional development
• Gain and enhance your technical and transferable skills through training and seminars
• Learn how to design, plan, and carry out laboratory and/or computational scientific experiments
• Present at the end-of-program symposium
• Build relationships with peers and colleagues

What You'll Bring

• PhD student in cell biology, structural biology, biophysics, bioengineering, or a closely related field
• Strong foundation in experimental biology, sample preparation, or related laboratory techniques
• Hands-on laboratory experience and comfort working with specialized instrumentation
• Ability to design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments with increasing independence
• Strong communication skills and enthusiasm for working in a collaborative, platform-oriented research environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with cryoEM, cryoET, or FIB-based workflows
• Familiarity with microscopy sample preparation or instrumentation-heavy research
• Interest in technology development and research infrastructure

Program Eligibility

• Must be a current graduate student (enrolled full time at a college or university both Spring 2026 AND Fall 2026 terms)
• Must be able to commit to the 10-week Summer Internship Program June 16, 2026, to August 21, 2026.
• Must be able to be on-site at the Biohub in Redwood Shores for the duration of the program

Compensation

The Redwood City, CA base pay range for a new hire in this role is $56.73/hour - $78.26/hour. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process. 

What We Provide 

• Hands-on, one-of-a-kind experience
• Hourly compensation
• Invaluable relationships
• Trainings and seminars
• Social events/activities

Housing & Work Location

Interns are responsible for securing and paying for their own housing for the duration of the internship. This internship is fully on-site, and interns are expected to be present on-site for the full program duration. The organization does not provide housing or housing stipends as part of the internship program.

What to Expect: Application & Program Timeline

We aim to make our internship hiring process transparent and predictable. Below is the anticipated timeline for the Summer 2026 Program:

• January 16, 2026 – Applications open
• February 1, 2026 – Application deadline
  • All application materials must be submitted by this date for full consideration.
• Late January – February 2026 – Application review & interviews
  • Applications will be reviewed by the recruiting and research teams. Selected candidates will be invited to interviews during this period.
• March 2026 – Offers extended and finalized
  • Internship offers will be extended on a rolling basis, with all offers expected to be accepted by early March.
• June 16 – August 21, 2026 – Summer Internship Program
  • Interns join Biohub for a 10-week, immersive research experience, concluding with an end-of-program symposium.

Dates are subject to minor adjustments; candidates will be kept informed throughout the process.

#LI-Onsite