Vertex Summer Intern 2026, Protein Engineering

Vertex is a global biotechnology company focused on tackling serious diseases and changing lives. They are seeking a Protein Engineering intern to work on developing novel therapeutic proteins, applying molecular biology techniques, and collaborating with multidisciplinary project teams.

Responsibilities

• The intern will primarily work with the Protein Engineering group to help develop novel therapeutic proteins that modulate immune responses
• The intern will apply molecular biology techniques to build and screen protein libraries for directed evolution yeast display campaigns
• This position will enable the design of expression plasmids for potential therapeutic proteins, and the student will also become familiar with in silico protein modeling/design tools (e.g., AlphaFold, Rosetta)
• Technical skills that will be acquired include: Basic molecular biology techniques, including PCR, primer design, Gibson assembly, bacterial transformation, yeast transformation, and DNA sequencing analysis
• Protein expression plasmid design and production
• Recombinant protein expression via transient transfection and purification
• Yeast display library design and screening
• Basic computational protein structure prediction and design tools, including Rosetta, AlphaFold, and PyMOL visualization techniques
• Database entry and protein request queue tracking
• Lab operations support
• Though a specific project has yet to be determined, the student will work on their own project focused on technology development while also shadowing the supervisor
• The student will also contribute to multiple therapeutic discovery stage Vertex projects
• These discovery stage projects will involve participation in multidisciplinary project teams composed of immunologists, biochemists, and structural biologists
• The student will interact closely with several members of our teams, such as specialists in stem cell differentiation, screening, genetic integrity, and epigenetics

Skills

• A passion for discovery in immunology
• At least two years of university-level coursework in a bioscience-related discipline
• Excellent communication skills, including the capacity to clearly present and explain results
• Motivation to perform precision bench work
• Aptitude to learn quickly
• Energy and flexibility to collaborate with a busy team in a rapidly evolving company
• An eagerness to contribute to Vertex's science
• Legal authorization to work in the United States, now and in the future. Please note that Vertex does not provide sponsorship for internships or entry level roles within this part of the organization
• You must be available to work full-time, 40 hours per week from May – August 2026
• Research laboratory experience strongly preferred
• Experience and/or interest in protein structure prediction/design preferred
• Some experience with computational programming preferred

Benefits

• Free 24/7 onsite gym access and free access to group exercise classes
• Subsidized commuter benefits- transit and parking
• Provided meals—free breakfast daily!
• Career development opportunities and events, including C Suite engagement
• Social events—both intern-only and company-wide
• Location-specific perks and extras!
• Recognition of National Intern Day

Company Overview