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Process Development Intern

Berkeley, CA

Caribou Biosciences is a leading clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing transformative therapies for patients with devastating diseases. Our next-generation genome-editing technology enables superior precision to develop cell therapies that are armored to potentially improve activity against diseases. We believe the future of cell therapy is off-the-shelf, and we are advancing our pipeline of off-the-shelf, or allogeneic, cell therapies from our CAR-T cell therapy platform as readily available treatments for patients with hematologic malignancies and autoimmune diseases

Members of the Caribou herd open their minds to new ideas and welcome diverse perspectives. We proudly assert that teams do their best work when their members are personally engaged, their ideas are taken seriously and contributions are recognized. Members of the herd work from our headquarters in Berkeley, California, or remotely

About the Internship Program

Caribou’s Summer Internship Program is designed to give students and recent graduates hands-on experience in biotech, technical operations, and business functions. Interns will work closely with mentors and teams on meaningful projects while gaining industry insights and professional development opportunities. The program includes networking events and an end-of-program showcase where interns present their work to Caribou leadership and peers.

What You’ll Do

As a Process Development Intern on the Process Development/ Technical Operations team, you’ll gain hands-on experience in optimizing Caribou’s platform manufacturing process for gene-edited cell therapies and contribute to projects with immediate impact. You’ll be part of a supportive team that will challenge you to grow and help you build the skills you need for your future career.

Working closely with our PD team, you will have the opportunity to interact with our engineers to provide support and gain hands-on experience. You will leverage quality by design principles to solve real-world issues in the cell therapy space within the context of Caribou’s manufacturing platform. In this role, you will leverage your existing skillset and learn new skills to identify process gaps and leverage industry standard techniques to engineer solutions. 

Your work may include:

  • Learn cGMP-compatible CAR-T cell separation, cell enrichment, cell expansion, gene editing, final formulation, and related processes for scale-up techniques
  • Learn and use engineering principles to leverage bench and pilot scale models for cell therapy manufacturing process performance characterization
  • Design and execute characterization studies, evaluate product impact of scale-up and/or raw material changes
  • Learn scale-up of operations compatible with applicable quality assurance guidelines
  • Generate development reports and prepare SOPs and batch records
  • Participate in cross-functional teams and working in a highly matrixed team environment 
  • Assisting with designing and executing characterization studies in relation to T cell isolation, activation, expansion, and raw material changes.
  • Optimization of critical process parameters using QbD principles utilizing DoE approaches.
  • Supporting Process Development/ Technical Operations with cell-based assays, data analysis and compilation.
  • Attending team meetings and sharing ideas
  • Preparing and reviewing protocols and presentations
  • Collaborating with your mentor to troubleshoot challenges and find solutions
  • Participating in intern events like networking sessions, team-building activities, and the final project showcase

What You’ll Gain

  • Hands-on experience with cGMP-compatible CAR-T cell isolation, cell enrichment, cell expansion, gene editing, final formulation, and related processes for scale up.
  • Exposure to regulatory guidelines and quality standards in biotech
  • A mentor who will guide your learning and professional growth
  • Opportunities to connect with leaders and teams across the company
  • A chance to make a real impact and contribute to Caribou’s mission
  • Experience presenting your project in our intern showcase

What We’re Looking For

  • Currently pursuing a degree in Biology, Bioengineering, or a related area
  • Some experience with cell culture is a plus but not required
  • Interest in biotechnology, immunology, cell therapy, process development and optimization.
  • Strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
  • For lab-based internships, must be at least 18 years old for safety reasons

Eligibility

  • Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. (foreign students must have OPT approval from their school)
  • Must be able to work onsite in Berkeley, CA, for 5 days per week, based on manager preference
  • Must sign a university release form (provided by Caribou) acknowledging intellectual property terms and internship conditions
  • If submitting a poster to an external university program (e.g., QB3), you must complete Caribou’s publication clearance form. The intern’s manager is responsible for ensuring timely submission

Nice to Have Qualifications

  • Interest or experience in immuno-oncology, the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
  • Familiarity with FlowJo, JMP, GxP, and immune cell engineering.

Compensation & Perks

  • Range for this Paid full time internship is $26/hour with a 2-3 month duration
  • Professional development, networking, and mentorship opportunities
  • A chance to work alongside some of the brightest minds in biotech
  • Interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation

Equal Opportunity Employer

Caribou Biosciences is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered.

We do not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from staffing agencies. Any resume submitted without a valid agreement in place will be considered unsolicited, and Caribou Biosciences will not be obligated to pay any referral or placement fee.

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