2026 Sirna Conjugate Development Intern

Job Description

Envision spending your summer working with energetic colleagues and inspirational leaders, all while gaining world-class experience in one of the most dynamic organizations in the pharmaceutical industry. This is a reality for AbbVie Interns.  

R&D Process Engineering, a part of AbbVie R&D’s Development Sciences organization, is responsible for designing and developing scalable processes to make drug substances and drug products, including small molecules, peptides, and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), throughout pre-clinical and clinical development stages. R&D Process Engineering also partners with Biologics CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) Development and Aesthetics R&D functions to provide active engineering support to enable robust process scale-up and manufacturing of biologics drug substances and drug products including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and cosmetic active ingredients (CAIs). We contribute to the development of innovative engineering technologies and create valuable intellectual property through the composition of matter, chemical processes, and technologies resulting in cost-effective commercial manufacturing processes. We support the development of the supply chain for pipeline molecules and help prepare and defend CMC regulatory content. 

Antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates represent a transformative approach for delivering genetic medicines selectively to disease sites. This internship will focus on the development of a sophisticated kinetic model for siRNA conjugation to various antibody forms (mAb, Fab, scFv-fusion) and optimization of conjugation reaction conditions. This work will significantly enhance the understanding and development of this platform with the potential for a peer reviewed publication.   

Key responsibilities include: 

• Establishment of a robust lab-scale process that generates stable antibody-siRNA conjugates. 

• Development of a mathematical model based on experimental data to enable precise predictions of how variations in reaction conditions modulate conjugation efficiency and stability.  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications  

• Currently enrolled in university, pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering, material science and engineering, pharmaceutical sciences and engineering, or other related field. 

• Must be enrolled in university for at least one semester following the internship.  

• Experience with bioconjugation and/or kinetic modeling. 

• Excellent organizational skills and research and development expertise. 

• Demonstrated strong communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate theories and concepts. 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Expected graduation date between December 2026 – July 2027. 

• Experience with antibody-drug conjugation and conjugation reaction optimization.  

• Analytical methodology such as size exclusion chromatography and hydrophobic interaction chromatography.