Apply here for the 2024 industry internship!
Why I wanted to experience the industrial sector
After almost 3 years of my PhD project in the field of cardiac research, I found that I had gotten to know many sides of life in academia. However, I had also spent a lot of time being curious about the industrial sector: how would experimental work differ in a company? How was the working culture? And how would the skill set acquired during my PhD fit in with a company?
I was made aware of the Digital Life Industry Internship program and realized it would be the perfect opportunity to get a taste of the world outside of academia. It also felt like a great opportunity to get a break from my own project, gain new perspectives and hopefully become inspired to adapt my research from the things I would learn.
Testa Center, a testbed for both academia and businesses
Through DLN, I was matched up with Testa Center, which is a private public partnership between Cytiva and the Swedish government. Testa Center functions as a testbed where both academia and different businesses can come and benefit from the in-house expertise and equipment to upscale their biological production. There is also research going on at Testa Center, and I was lucky enough to be able to contribute to the post-doc program here.
My project on the purification of adeno-associated virus
My main project at Testa Center was focused on the purification of adeno-associated virus (AAV) with the use of magnetic beads. AAV is nowadays a hot topic in the field of medicine since it can potentially be used in gene therapy. There is thus a need for methods where large amounts of AAV can be purified.
The standard workflow involves virus production in cells, and then a long and laborious filtration process to clear away cellular debris and unwanted components before the solution is suitable for AAV purification.
Our project focused on bypassing the filtration and gather AAV directly from the cell lysate with magnetic beads without the need to clear it up first. Small magnetic beads with a coating that binds specifically to AAV particles is added to the cell lysate. Then, the beads bind AAVs and can then be extracted by a magnet. The beads will now have viral particles bound to them, and the particles can later be eluted from the beads and gathered in solution, free of cellular debris.
What I learned during my Industry Internship
A lot of my work at Testa Center has been centered around testing and optimizing methods, while keeping the customer’s need in mind. Seeing science from this point of view has allowed me to learn a lot about how much work goes into improving existing methods, so they get faster, easier, safer, and less costly. Through my project I have also been able to take part in the entire process from bench scale to large scale experiments, and thus experiencing how a method changes depending on how much material you need to process, something I have not had the chance to learn during my PhD.
Joining the team at Testa Center has been a wonderful experience. I have gotten to know a lot of great people and been part of a team that put emphasis on both the scientific and social working environment. The internship has also made me more aware of the soft skills I have acquired during my PhD. Although my technical skills have been very valuable, I have also experienced how being independent, able to gather knowledge and being able to take initiative is just as important as in an industrial setting. This also goes for critical thinking and being able to adapt when things don’t work out as planned.
All in all, I am very grateful that I got the industry internship at Testa Center. Getting this opportunity to test out working for a company is an invaluable experience that I would recommend to all PhD student who have the opportunity.
Centre for Digital Life Norway Industry Internship
PhD students in Norwegian biotechnology have the opportunity to explore career options outside academia through Digital Life Norway’s Internship Program.
New 2024 call is out! Apply by 31 January 2024. ►