Paid Protein & Structural Chemistry Internship — Drug Discovery

Merck; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 67,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

Merck invites applications for a 10–12 week paid internship in the Protein & Structural Chemistry group, part of the Future Talent Program. Interns will work on structural biology projects using X-ray crystallography and Cryo-EM to enable structure-based drug discovery.

Candidates must be enrolled in BS/BA, Master’s, or PhD programs, with strong lab skills in biochemistry/biophysics and a passion for protein science. The internship runs June–August 2027 across multiple locations in the US.

Qualifications

• Pursuing BS/BA or Master’s/PhD in related field with interest in drug discovery.
• Basic lab skills and research experience in structural biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and related areas.
• Enrollment in an academic program during application and continuing education after internship.

Responsibilities

• Support drug discovery with structural information using crystallography and Cryo-EM.
• Protein purification, SDS-PAGE, spectroscopy and chromatographic characterization.
• Pre-crystallization assays, crystallization screening, data collection and structure analysis.
• Accurate electronic notebook recording and presentation of data to scientists.
• Attend departmental and team meetings to understand the drug development process.

Skills

Structural biology

Protein biochemistry

Biophysics

BioNMR

Mass spectrometry

Molecular biology

Protein expression and purification

Education

BS/BA or Master’s/PhD in related field

Job description

Merck invites applications for a 10–12 week paid internship in the Protein & Structural Chemistry group, part of the Future Talent Program. Interns will work on structural biology projects using X-ray crystallography and Cryo-EM to enable structure-based drug discovery.

Candidates must be enrolled in BS/BA, Master’s, or PhD programs, with strong lab skills in biochemistry/biophysics and a passion for protein science. The internship runs June–August 2027 across multiple locations in the US.