Internship VHH Nanobody Discovery & Engineering, starting January 2027

Cortalix BV; Groningen; Hybrid; EUR 2,000 - 3,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Internship allowance

Supervision by scientists

Hands-on bench experience

Job summary

Cortalix BV in Groningen is offering an internship in VHH Nanobody discovery and engineering. Start date January 2027, 80%–100% capacity, located at MediTech Center in Groningen, NL.

The role involves bench research, phage/ribosomal display, protein expression, purification, and data analysis within a collaborative team. You are enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program in biotechnology or related field, with hands-on lab experience in cloning, expression, and immunoassays.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Life Sciences or related discipline.
• Ideally has practical laboratory experience with molecular cloning, protein expression in bacteria/yeast, phage display or related immunoassays.

Responsibilities

• Work on discovery and engineering of VHH nanobodies.
• Perform protein expression and purification tasks.
• Assist with data analysis and presentation of results.
• Contribute to AI-assisted sequence analysis and high-throughput screening initiatives.

Skills

Molecular cloning

Protein expression

Phage display

ELISA

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s program in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Life Sciences or related discipline

Tools

Phage display

ELISA

Bacterial expression

Job description

Internship VHH Nanobody Discovery & Engineering, starting January 2027

Job description: Internship – VHH Nanobody Discovery & Engineering
80% – 100%, dependent on requirements master or bachelor program.
Location: MediTech Center, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Duration: Minimum 3 months (preferably 5–6 months)
Starting date: January 2027.

Launch your career in nanobody biotechnology

Are you passionate about molecular biology, biotechnology or protein engineering? Would you like to work on cutting-edge technologies that may contribute to the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics?

At Cortalix, you won’t be working on a “student project”. You will become part of our scientific team and contribute to ongoing research and development projects for international biotech and pharmaceutical companies, while helping to further develop our proprietary VHH nanobody platform.

We welcome up to two interns at a time, ensuring that every student receives intensive supervision while having the opportunity to work independently and make a meaningful scientific contribution.

What you will work on

Depending on your background and the ongoing projects, your internship may include:

• Discovery and engineering of VHH nanobodies
• Phage display and/or ribosomal display selection
• Protein expression in bacterial, yeast or cell-free systems
• Protein purification and biochemical characterization
• ELISA, flow cytometry (FACS), SPR and/or Octet BLI analysis
• Mammalian cell culture and functional assays
• Data analysis and presentation of experimental results

You may also contribute to the development of next-generation discovery technologies involving AI-assisted sequence analysis, NGS, automation and high-throughput screening.

Who we are looking for

You are currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Life Sciences or a related discipline.

Ideally, you already have practical laboratory experience with several of the following techniques:

• Molecular cloning and recombinant DNA techniques
• Protein expression in bacteria and/or yeast
• Phage display or other display technologies
• ELISA or related immunoassays

Most importantly, you are curious, eager to learn, proactive and enjoy working in a collaborative scientific environment.

What we offer

An internship at Cortalix offers much more than laboratory experience.

You will:

• Work on real research and client projects.
• Be supervised by experienced scientists with expertise in VHH nanobody discovery.
• Gain hands‑on experience with state‑of‑the‑art technologies used in biotechnology and drug discovery.
• Develop both your technical and scientific communication skills.
• Become part of an ambitious and enthusiastic biotech startup where your contribution truly matters.

Depending on your project, your work may contribute to scientific publications, patent applications or the further development of our proprietary technology platform.

We offer an internship allowance of up to €300 per month for a full‑time internship.

We look forward to meeting enthusiastic students who want to help shape the future of nanobody discovery.