R&D Summer Internships

Below is a list of R&D Summer Internship Projects. All roles are in-person in Westbrook, Maine. To qualify for our program, you must be actively enrolled as a student beyond the summer program.

Timeframe: June 2 to August 8, full time (40 hrs/week) or full time, with possible longer-term opportunities.

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The NPD & Product Support LCMS team is a multidisciplinary team with extensive cross functional collaboration within R&D. The team develops and applies LCMS techniques toward characterizing rare reagents to support reagent discovery, new product development and product support activities at IDEXX. Additionally, the team provides quantitative analytical LCMS support for on market products and new product development efforts.

Goals to accomplish:

• Characterize reagents using intact mass and peptide mapping analysis followed by LCMS analysis.

• Characterize reagents using immunoprecipitation methods followed by LCMS analysis.

• Develop quantitative LCMS assay for quantifying small molecules for serum samples.

Desired Skills: Applicants will ideally have experience in laboratory work (course based, academic research, or industry laboratory experience). Good knowledge of chemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology is desirable. Willingness to learn new techniques as well as computer tools for analysis is also desirable.

Things you will learn:

• Use of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry instruments for quantitative analysis.

• Preparing samples and performing intact mass and peptide mapping analysis using LCMS systems.

• Experimental method development and planning.

• Data analysis, visualization, and communication.

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The R&D Discovery Biosystems Team is a multidisciplinary team with extensive cross functional collaboration. The team has a targeted interest in characterizing the physiological relevance and biomarker expression of relevant animal cell models to support the generation of a diagnostic test.

Goals to accomplish:

• Design and perform experiments to empirically test hypotheses related to animal disease states.

• Use molecular biology skills to analyze gene and protein expression in animal cell models.

• Apply cell biology techniques to grow cell lines and develop cell models of animal health and disease.

• Apply knowledge of chemistry, biology, and/or engineering to design and analyze experiments.

Desired Skills: Applicants will ideally have experience in laboratory work (course based, academic research, or industry laboratory experience). Good knowledge of chemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology is desirable. Willingness to learn new techniques as well as computer tools for analysis is also desirable.

Things you will learn:

• Molecular biology techniques such as qPCR, immunofluorescence imaging, and ELISA.

• Cell biology and cell culture handling procedures.

• Experimental method development and planning.

• Systematic problem-solving approaches.

• Data analysis, visualization, and communication.

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The R&D New Product Development Team is a multidisciplinary team with extensive cross functional collaboration. The team has a targeted interest in characterizing sample specific effects in canine blood.

Goals to accomplish:

• Contribute to designing and running experiments to empirically test hypothesis related to biological makeup of a sample.

• Use analytical laboratory skills by observing and documenting experiments.

• Apply knowledge of chemistry, biology, physics to describing experimental results.

• Work with a team to create data analysis and visualizations that best describe the assay results to varied audiences.

Desired Skills: Applicants will ideally have experience in laboratory work (course based, academic research, or industry laboratory experience). Good knowledge of chemistry, biology, and/or physics concepts from college level coursework. Willingness to learn new test techniques as well as computer tools for analysis. Solid experience in data analysis (JMP) will be beneficial.

Things you will learn: 

• Systems approach to product development and support.

• Experimental method development and planning.

• Systematic problem-solving approaches

• Fundamentals of UV-vis spectroscopy, and other analytic techniques.

• Data analysis, visualization, and communication. 

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The cross-functional R&D Process Development Engineering Team focuses on post- launch product development and on market enhancements.

Goals to accomplish:

• Summarize and analyze different data sets using software tools such as python, database applications (SQL, Access, Snowflake) and analyze data using statistical software such as JMP/JSL.

• Perform routine maintenance and data collection for lab equipment including troubleshooting, trending, and SOP refinement.

• Develop custom test methods to automate lab work such as pipetting, plate washing, etc.

Desired Skills: Applicants will ideally have experience in laboratory work (course based, academic research, or industry laboratory experience). Good knowledge of biochemistry, and/or instrumentation concepts from college level coursework. Willingness to learn new test techniques as well as computer tools for analysis. Solid experience in data analysis (JMP) will be beneficial. Python or database experience would be desired.

Things you will learn: 

• Design of experiments and data analysis and/or coding

• Use of automated laboratory equipment

• Measurement system analysis

• Process standardization and SOP creation

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The R&D Rare Reagent Process Development team is our technically innovative team delivering revolutionary products to pets.

Goals to accomplish:

• This is primarily a laboratory-based position in which you will gain training in world-class biochemistry, chemistry, and process engineering. You will prepare materials, perform experiments, gather data, and reach conclusions. Use analytical laboratory skills by observing and documenting experiments. May also design experiments.

• You will validate performance of cutting-edge instrumentation to improve efficiency of projects.

• Creatively troubleshoot processes as necessary to achieve project goals.

• Work with a team to create data analysis and visualizations that best describe the results and processes to varied audiences.

Desired Skills: Applicants will ideally have experience in laboratory work (course based, academic research, or industry laboratory experience) and basic instrumentation. Good knowledge of biochemistry, biology, physics, and/or process engineering concepts from college-level coursework. Willingness to learn new test techniques and instrumentation as well as computer tools for analysis. Organization, communication skills, and basic ability to plan out work. Experience in semi-automated liquid handling is a plus.

Things you will learn: 

• Gain laboratory skills in biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and biophysics.

• Systems approach to new product development and supporting work streams.

• Problem-solving skills and applying a range of tools to critically evaluate, interpret and summarize data with ability to propose and plan next steps.

• Experimental method and process development.

• How innovation cultivates efficiency and quality.

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Catalyst Coag Integration Intern: This internship will support the development of instrument sequences that will meet the run reliability requirements of Catalyst COAG. The intern will contribute to experimental design, execution and analysis/interpretation of test data to assess the predicted run fault rates and performance of the COAG product.

Goals to accomplish:

• Use engineering skills to document instrument functionality via videos and/or sequence diagrams.

• Contribute to designing and running experiments to empirically test hypothesis related to instrument functionality and how it relates to test results.

• Apply knowledge of chemistry, biology, physics, and/or engineering to describing experimental results.

• Work with a team to create data analysis and visualizations that best describe methodology results to varied audiences.

Desired Skills: Applicants will ideally have experience in laboratory work (course based, academic research, or industry laboratory experience). Good knowledge of chemistry, biology, physics, or engineering concepts from college level coursework. Willingness to learn new test techniques as well as computer tools for analysis. Solid experience in data analysis (JMP) will be beneficial.

Things you will learn:

• Systems approach to product development and support.

• Experimental method development and planning.

• Systematic problem-solving approaches.

• Fundamentals of blood analyzers instrumentation

• Data analysis, visualization, and communication.

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Catalyst Instrument Assay Development Web Interface : The purpose for the intern is to speed up the process of standardizing assay development process by creating a standardized interface. The Intern would be responsible for automating the process of completing assay runs during development.  This process would be used to standardize run selection, data integrity, data collection, and traceability.

Goals to accomplish:

• Coordinate with other engineers to understand the interface needed by the tool to communicate with the instruments and inputs needed for each experiment.

• Develop a software tool to integrate the communication with the instrument and provide inputs from the user and to also grab files from the instruments and move them to a central location

• Document the process and train others on using the tooling to run experiments. 

Desired Skills: Applicants will ideally have experience in front end interface software using tools like python java.  Some c++ software interfacing with instrumentation, experience using a software control software like github, and technical documentation and process writing.

Things you will learn:

• Systems approach to product development and support.

• Developing Software tools with user interfaces

• Developing Instrument Communication Interfaces

• Systematic problem-solving approaches.

• Fundamentals of blood analyzers instrumentation

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Why IDEXX:

We’re proud of the work we do because our work matters. An innovation leader in every industry we serve, we follow our Purpose and Guiding Principles to help pet owners worldwide keep their companion animals healthy and happy, to ensure safe drinking water for billions, and to help farmers protect livestock and poultry from disease. We have customers in over 175 countries and a global workforce of over 10,000 talented people.

So, what does that mean for you? We enrich the livelihoods of our employees with a positive and respectful work culture that embraces challenges and encourages learning and discovery. At IDEXX, you will be supported by competitive compensation, incentives, and benefits while enjoying purposeful work that drives improvement.

Let’s pursue what matters together.

IDEXX values a diverse workforce and workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.

IDEXX is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by local, state, or federal laws.

While we appreciate our staffing partners, we are unable to accept unsolicited agency resumes.

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