Fermentation Process Development Internship (all year round)

Nucleus Capital I. GMBH; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 8,928 - 13,392; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free vegan lunches

Healthy snacks and drinks

Diverse international environment

Job summary

Nucleus Capital I. GMBH in Amsterdam is seeking an enthusiastic Intern in Fermentation Process Development. This position is ideal for Master's or PhD students in biological engineering or biotechnology. Interns will support improved fermentation processes and gain hands-on experience in a cutting-edge lab environment. Responsibilities include running batch fermentations and optimizing parameters for protein production. The role offers free vegan lunches and a vibrant international team atmosphere.

Qualifications

• Current Master’s or PhD student in biological engineering, biotechnology, biochemical engineering or related areas.
• Experience with working in a microbiology lab, aseptic handlings, analyses.
• Hands‑on experience with bioreactors, ideally independent bioreactor experience.
• Autonomy and self‑starting capabilities.
• Team‑player skills with excellent English proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Run batch and fed‑batch fermentations for protein production.
• Optimise the operational parameters to maximise productivity and yield.
• Investigate the relationship between operational conditions and biochemical formation.
• Calculate the mass balance during the process and fermentation performance parameters.

Skills

Microscopy lab experience

Biochemical analysis

Team collaboration

Aseptic handling

Education

Master's or PhD in biological engineering, biotechnology, or related fields

Job description

Intern fermentation process development

We hire on a rolling basis.

Note: the project has a duration of 6‑7 months, where 7 months are preferred. The start date is flexible. We only hire current students that need to do a mandatory internship for university.

Mission

Our mission is to decouple protein production from agricultural land and create an era of food abundance for humanity. We use natural fermentation and a renewable‑energy based feedstock to produce amino‑acid complete protein ingredients. While practically all fermentation methods up until now relied on sugars—which are derived from crops grown on agricultural land—we base our fermentation platform on an easily storable and shippable liquid feedstock that can be made with just renewable energy. This allows us to bypass the inefficiency of photosynthesis and break free of its limiting constraints.

Team

We're a small, highly technical team with diverse backgrounds (Vegetarian Butcher, DSM, Noma) from all over the world. Our brewery, R&D, test kitchen and offices are all integrated under a single roof, optimised for high‑speed iteration.

Role

We are looking for a motivated Fermentation Process Development Intern who will support us in improving all aspects of the fermentation process. During this internship you will be part of an experienced team and work on the frontiers of protein fermentation. We offer our interns a unique experience—the opportunity to truly integrate within a team of experts while contributing to a brighter, greener future. We give our interns unprecedented freedom and room to grow, but in turn we accept only the very best.

Responsibilities

• Run batch and fed‑batch fermentations for protein production.
• Optimise the operational parameters to maximise productivity and yield by using online sensor measurements and offline analyses.
• Investigate the relationship between operational conditions, dry matter composition, and biochemical formation.
• Calculate the mass balance during the process and other fermentation performance parameters (yield, productivities, dry cell weight).

Requirements

• Current Master’s or PhD student in biological engineering, biotechnology, biochemical engineering or related areas.
• Experience with working in a microbiology lab, aseptic handlings, analyses.
• Hands‑on experience with bioreactors, ideally independent bioreactor experience.
• Autonomy and self‑starting capabilities.
• Team‑player skills with excellent English proficiency.

Rewards

• Contribute to the future of protein production.
• Enjoy free, healthy vegan lunches, snacks and drinks.
• Thrive in a diverse, international and dynamic team.