Post Undergraduate/Graduate Intern – Molecular Biology

National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Colorado; On-site; USD 40,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

403(b) Employer match

Sick leave

Relocation expense reimbursement

Job summary

National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) in Golden, Colorado is offering a full-time post undergraduate/graduate internship in the Synthetic Biology and Bioconversion group. The role focuses on metabolic engineering to develop engineered bacterial strains for renewable fuels and chemicals.

You will collaborate with postdoctoral researchers to validate hypotheses, document results, and maintain safe lab practices.

Qualifications

• Molecular biology experience including DNA cloning and transformation.
• Microbiology experience with sterile techniques.
• GPA 3.0+ and current enrollment as undergrad/grad.
• Post-graduate eligibility for internship up to one year.

Responsibilities

• Engineer bacterial strains to validate physiological hypotheses.
• Collaborate with postdocs and researchers to screen and optimize strains.
• Maintain thorough lab notebooks and uphold safety standards.

Skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Critical thinking

Lab safety

Independent work

Education

GPA 3.0+

Undergraduate full-time student

Graduate student

Post-grad eligible (12 months)

Job description

Posting Title

Post Undergraduate/Graduate Intern – Molecular Biology . Location CO - Golden . Position Type Intern (Fixed Term) . Hours Per Week 40 . Working at NLR

Job Description

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

The RRES Center at NLR has an opening for a full-time post undergraduate/graduate internship within the Synthetic Biology and Bioconversion group. Responsibilities for this intern will focus on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology to generate, screen, and optimize engineered bacterial strains for production of renewable fuels and chemicals from various biomass-derived intermediates and/or C1 molecules. In collaboration with postdoctoral researchers and research scientists, the intern will engineer strains to validate physiological hypotheses.

In addition, the successful candidate will have the following:

• Excellent organizational skills, including contemporary laboratory notebook documentation


• Attention to detail


• Proficient communication skills, including the ability to succinctly communicate scientific findings to peers


• Critical thinking skills, including the ability to formulate hypotheses and interpret results


• Ability to maintain a clean lab space with utmost attention to safety


• Demonstrated ability to work safely with minimal supervision

Please note this will likely be a 3-month internship.

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.


• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.


• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.


• Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.


• Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.


• Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in molecular biology, including DNA cloning and transformation.


• Demonstrated experience in microbiology, including sterile techniques.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with genetic engineering of Cupriavidus necator


• Experience designing synthetic operons and constructing plasmids


• Experience with biological conversion of C1 substrates


• Experience with computational data analysis, e.g., skills in Python or R.

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Annual Salary Range: $39,600 - $63,400. NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

• medical, dental, and vision insurance


• 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*


• sick leave (where required by law)


• NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component


• relocation expense reimbursement


• Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits


• * Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation. Intern assignments extending beyond six months will be subject to this requirement.

Drug Free Workplace

NLR is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Drug Free Workplace. NLR is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations

E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish. E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for critical minerals, energy innovation, and energy security. With locations in Golden and Boulder, Colorado, Fairbanks, Alaska, and a satellite office in Washington, D.C., NLR bridges foundational research with practical applications to develop and bring to scale new energy materials and technologies that lower energy costs, drive economic growth, and deliver abundant and reliable energy.

NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All candidates must be authorized to access the facility per DOE rules and guidance within a reasonable time frame for the specified position in order to be considered for an interview and for hiring. DOE rules for site access during the interview process depend on whether the candidate is interviewed on-site, off-site, or via telephone or videoconference. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.

Additionally, DOE contractor employees are prohibited from participating in certain Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs (FGTRPs). If a candidate is currently participating in an FGTRP, they will be required to disclose their participation after receiving an offer of employment and may be required to disengage from participation in the FGTRP prior to commencing employment. Any offer of employment is conditional on the ability to obtain work authorization and to be granted access to NLR by the Department of Energy (DOE).