Internship Drug Product Development and Delivery (Master)

Do you want to develop yourself at one of the largest organizations dedicated to bringing substantial innovation to global health? Then this is your chance!

Johnson & Johnson is a global Healthcare company, full of entrepreneurial people working in a dynamic culture where innovation and a “can do” attitude, are key to the organization.

We have internship positions available for enthusiastic and driven students within the Drug Product Development and Delivery department of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine in Leiden, Netherlands where we develop future gene and cell therapies.

We are looking for an enthusiastic student for 32-40 hours per week (negotiable). The duration of an internship is at least 6 months. The preferred start date is October/November 2024. Exact start and end dates are negotiable.

We are looking for a MSc student in (bio)pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering or process chemistry.

You want to work in the R&D laboratory of a pharmaceutical company on a daily basis.

You must have experience in laboratory work (e.g. internship), and preferably experience in preparation of nanoparticles, nanoparticle analysis or process development.

You are able to follow standard operating procedures when required, and applicable health, safety and environmental requirements.

You are able to document all your experiments in lab notebook, write detailed scientific reports and share your data in presentations. Therefore, a good command of the English language required.

You are an ‘out of the box’ thinker and hands-on, pro-active problem solver and enjoy multidisciplinary and international teamwork.

RNA molecules can be used very effectively in treating and preventing diseases. However, the inherent instability of RNA requires efficient and safe delivery systems to reach its target in the body. The lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system is the most advanced non-viral delivery system for delivery of nucleic acids such as RNA. The LNP system has proven its capabilities when used in certain Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic.

The manufacturing of LNPs at industrial scale for final drug product is a complex, multi-step process. Main process steps include mixing of lipid and RNA components, up-concentration and buffer exchange to final formulation buffer, sterile filtration and filling of drug product to its final primary container. Another challenge of RNA LNP drug products is their poor stability, particularly at refrigerated and elevated temperatures.

• The project aims to optimize RNA LNP manufacturing steps like buffer exchange, sterile filtration, and stability studies. The final scope will be defined at the start of the internship based on the progress of the project;
• You will design and conduct experiments (e.g. LNP preparation, buffer exchange, filtration, and stability testing), analyze data, and report results while collaborating with experienced scientists;
• During the internship, you will gain hands-on experience in LNP preparation, learn about gene and cell therapy manufacturing, and work in an international environment at a leading healthcare company.

The Drug Product Development and Delivery is a global team at J&J Innovative Medicine with several locations in Europe, North America and Asia. In Leiden, we are working on the development of future gene and cell therapies. The work includes the development of formulations and manufacturing processes for stable drug products, including RNA lipid nanoparticles, viral vectors and polysaccharide conjugates.

Are you ready to develop yourself at J&J Innovative Medicine? We are looking forward to receive your resume and motivation letter. In your motivation we want you to describe the following topics:
- A brief introduction about yourself;
- Why you want to do your internship at J&J;
- How the assignment fits in with your studies.

Noah van Ingen

Accountspecialist

Any questions about this vacancy? Please don't hesitate to contact me!

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