Intern, Molecular Biology

Adaptyv Biosystems; Lausanne; On-site; CHF 20,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Adaptyv Biosystems is seeking an exceptional molecular biology intern to own real production workflows, including cloning, protein expression, purification, and characterization on our automated systems used by customers daily.

You will join a high-throughput, heavily automated lab with a senior mentor, tackling hard problems and building skills that may lead to full-time opportunities after the internship.

Qualifications

• Have done real molecular biology including PCR, cloning, transformation, electrophoresis and protein expression/purification.
• Automation- and software-curious; comfortable with scripting (Python) or liquid-handling automation is a plus.
• Self-starter who can identify what needs doing and take initiative.

Responsibilities

• Run molecular cloning and protein production end to end: PCR, assembly, transformation, expression, and purification.
• QC constructs and proteins (capillary electrophoresis, sequencing, SDS-PAGE) and characterization assays.
• Improve flaky workflows to be reliable and faster through better protocols and automation.
• Work hands-on with liquid handlers and lab automation to push manual protocols toward automation.
• Document rigorously, track samples, and ensure results are reproducible and traceable.
• Diagnose failures across biology, reagents, and instruments and fix them.

Skills

Molecular biology

Python scripting

Education

BSc / MSc in molecular biology or biochemistry

Tools

Lab automation

Job description

Adaptyv is building an automated lab that lets AI agents run biology experiments.

We're entering the era of agentic science where AI models can now design novel proteins, propose hypotheses, and iterate on experimental results. But they can't run the experiments themselves - that's still a manual, months-long process. We're building the infrastructure that gives AI agents access to the physical world.

We are one of the fastest growing biotech companies, trusted by leading biopharmas, frontier AI labs, and the techbio companies pushing the field forward. This is a rare chance to help advance some of the most important work happening in biotech today.

Our automated lab is powered by a deep software + hardware stack: lab instruments worth millions of USD reverse-engineered into API-controllable hardware, dozens of devices orchestrated through complex workflows, full observability on everything that happens in the lab, processing pipelines for messy physical-world data, and AI systems that troubleshoot production results and accelerate assay development.

We're growing rapidly and are hiring for talented people to scale and support the massive demand for AI-driven wet lab experimentation.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is an internship for an exceptional molecular biologist who wants to do the most serious work of their life so far. You won't shadow people or run busywork - you'll own real production workflows: cloning, protein expression, purification, and characterization, on the systems that serve our customers every day.

We run a high-throughput, heavily automated lab, and we hold interns to the same bar as the rest of the team. We'll give you hard problems and a senior person to learn from, and expect you to make a real dent. For us, an internship is also the best way to find people we want to keep - do great work, and we'll want to bring you on full-time afterwards.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Run molecular cloning and protein production end to end: PCR, assembly, transformation, expression (bacterial and/or mammalian), and purification.
• Execute and improve QC on constructs and proteins (capillary electrophoresis, sequencing, SDS-PAGE) and characterization assays (binding, expression, stability).
• Take a workflow that's flaky or slow and make it reliable and faster - better protocols, better automation, fewer failures.
• Work hands-on with liquid handlers and lab automation, and help push manual protocols toward automated ones.
• Bring rigor to your data: document precisely, track samples, and make your results reproducible and traceable.
• Diagnose failures across biology, reagents, and instruments - and fix them, not just flag them.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Strong hands already. You've done real molecular biology - PCR, cloning, transformation, electrophoresis, ideally protein expression and purification - through research, a project, or a prior internship, and you're good at it. Protocols don't intimidate you.
• BSc / MSc student or recent graduate in molecular biology, biochemistry, or a relevant field.
• Automation- and software-curious. You'd rather automate a tedious step than repeat it 200 times. Comfort with scripting (Python) or liquid-handling automation is a strong plus.
• Self-starter. You see what needs doing and do it, without waiting for someone to hand you the next step.
• AI-native. It's 2026 - you use AI tools as a default to learn faster and work smarter.
• High standards and high drive. You care that the experiment is right, you move fast, and you're excited that the robots run real customer experiments.

DETAILS

• Location: Lausanne, Switzerland (on-site)
• Type: Full time
• Start date: Flexible
• Duration: Minimum 6 months

Application deadline

We are reviewing applicants on a rolling basis.