Pharmaceutical Lab Internship (Crystallization) (Pharmaceutical Crystallization)

Location: El Segundo, California, United States; full-time and on-site in Los Angeles, California. The internship runs between May and August 2027, with dates dependent on the selected student's university schedule.

Hourly rate: $33.00. Housing stipend is available for interns relocating to the area; commuter benefit supports local transportation.

Company

Varda develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses, with facilities in El Segundo, Washington, DC, and Huntsville.

What you will do

• Purify proteins and protein complexes.
• Conduct purity and charge variant analysis using SDS-PAGE and capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF).
• Assess protein integrity before and after freeze-drying stress.
• Perform biophysical characterization using orthogonal analytical techniques to evaluate structure, stability, and interaction behavior.
• Conduct and scale up crystallization screening for proteins and protein complexes, optimizing conditions through iterative testing.
• Report findings clearly to the broader R&D team.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in an accredited bachelor's or graduate degree program in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or a similar physical science, life science, or engineering discipline.
• At least 3 months of basic laboratory experience outside the classroom, including safe chemical handling, proper use of personal protective equipment, laboratory notebook maintenance, and hands-on experimental execution.
• Experience may include chemical synthesis, clean-room nanofabrication, crystallization, analytical characterization in a research laboratory, previous internships, REUs, or co-op experience.
• Motivation to work in a technically complex and fast-moving environment and interest in expanding capabilities in space.
• Must be lawfully authorized to work in the United States and qualify as a U.S. person under applicable export-control requirements: a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with pharmaceutical crystallization.
• Coursework in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, heat and mass transfer, organic chemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, and spectroscopy.
• Experience with synthetic chemistry techniques such as IR, mass spectrometry, HNMR, distillations, and separations.
• Exposure to programming or data analysis, including Python and statistical tools.
• Familiarity with DLS, nanoDSF, SEC, CD, or capillary electrophoresis.
• Background in protein formulation, biologics drug product development, or protein biochemistry.

Culture & Benefits

• Hands-on work at the intersection of pharmaceutical chemistry, materials science, and experimental process design.
• Collaborative, rigorous, fast-paced startup environment emphasizing precision, scientific curiosity, and teamwork.
• Opportunity to contribute to mission-critical projects and learn from experienced aerospace professionals.
• Housing stipend for interns relocating to the area.
• Commuter benefit for local transportation.