For my Scholars practicum, I did it during my time as an intern with MilliporeSigma, a biotechnology company. The department I worked in was Product Characterization whose goal was to use various assays to determine/verify the properties of samples sent by customers. My project during my internship was to transfer an adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid characterization assays that used a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system(LC-MS). Since MilliporeSigma's UK site was shutting down, it was an important time to transfer assays so that the company could continue selling these assays to customers. My site supervisor was Yun Zhang who is the manager of the Product Characterization Custom team. I mainly worked with Jing Jiang, a scientist under Yun's management.
On a typical day during my internship, there were a variety of tasks I worked to complete. When I first came in, I would check my email and see if I had any Teams meetings I was supposed to join where I would learn about how the company organizes its projects and the completion timeline for each. Depending on the day and the work Jing has to do I would either go into the lab to observe one of the assays she is performing or work independently. On the days when I would work on mine, I would go to the lab and of course, suit up in the proper PPE of a lab coat, safety glasses, and gloves. I would then begin gathering the samples and solutes I will need to perform my essays. I mark down the lot numbers for the reagents used in the lab book as a way to make sure I don't use anything expired and that everything can be traced back to its source. Once everything is accounted for, I start my experiment based on the UK site's standard operating procedure (SOP). During sample incubation periods, I would set up the LC-MS by making sure all of the solutes were filled in an appropriate amount and by flushing all of the columns. I also set up the protocol by adjusting the control, sample, and wash concentrations and time. After I finished the sample preparations, I loaded it into the LC-MS and ran the protocol. Once the protocol is done running, I begin the data analysis. For the intact mass assay, this would quantify how much of each viral protein within the capsid is present. For the peptide mapping assay, this would be a sequence coverage percentage. With the data, I would make graphs that would help me visualize the results given by the raw data, allowing me to make conclusions about the success of the assays. Depending on the results, I would either make a presentation about my success, or I would have to research what may have caused the issue and think about what I can change so the next run is successful.
To understand the hands-on work I was completing in the lab, I had to understand the scientific concepts and theory behind everything. This required me to read various pieces of scientific literature to learn what is AAV, how it's used, and why it's important to study. I found that SGC's lessons about scientific literature and how to analyze articles helped me learn about this topic which was very new to me. I knew which sections of the article I should look at for specific kinds of information. For example, when looking to see what issues the research may not have addressed, I knew to look at the discussion section. When looking for the specific AAV being used and tested, I knew to look in the methods and materials section. Overall, this introduction to scientific literature helped me understand the science of AAV which contributed to my ability to succeed during my internship.
This internship also had a massive impact on what I wanted to do with my future. A lot of the work the PC Custom team did required optimizing the assay protocol based on each specific sample. They had to do this by taking the results and changing the procedure in a way that they thought would give them more desirable results. After my conversations with the scientists, I learned that their ability to perform this optimization came from their time as researchers in a university lab. With this, I began to consider pursuing graduate school upon graduation. From my time with MilliporeSigma, I knew the kind of jobs I was interested in required higher education. Not only did I learn more about my career preferences, but I also learned a variety of technical skills, which was a goal of mine going into the internship. Before the internship, I interviewed with a bioengineering lab and the Ph.D. student said they used flow cytometry assays often for their research. As a way to prepare myself for the research I would be performing in the BIOE lab, I asked my supervisor if there was any possibility I could shadow/train with someone who uses flow. She put me in contact with another scientist in the department whose specialty was flow and he gave me an introduction to flow cytometry. This training prepared me for the work I'm doing now in the BIOE lab and helped me lessen the learning curve that comes with learning how to use new machinery. To have better prepared for this internship, I would've taken BSCI330 (cell biology and physiology) beforehand as a way to introduce me to scientific topics that were commonly referred to during my internship. I think this internship could have an impact on my future in terms of the kind of research I'd like to pursue. When it comes to applying to graduate school, I think I'll take more interest in labs that do work with AAV and/or LC-MS because of the previous experience I have with the topic/machinery. The internship also put me in contact with many great scientists within the biotechnology industry which has strengthened my network which is always important for a long and successful career.
I would recommend this experience to future SGC students, especially those who are interested in working in a lab setting. Not only are the scientists very kind and genuinely want to help you with anything they can, but the internship program itself was extremely beneficial. They held a resume workshop and mock interview to help build our career readiness. The feedback I received from my mock interview is something I look back to and keep in the back of my head whenever I go into any kind of interview. They also help team building workshops and taught us how to work with people who have personalities and values that are different from our own. Not only this, but they also held many social events for us. On Intern Day, they took all of us to Dave and Busters where we had some friendly competition and won a lot of prizes. Overall, I had an extremely enjoyable time during my internship with MilliporeSigma, and believe it allowed me to develop both personally and professionally.