2026 Summer Internship Program: Clinical assay development and critical reagent support

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Job Description

The Clinical Assay and Serology group is part of Takeda Vaccine Business Unit’s Vaccine Bioanalytical Development (VBD) group. VBD’s primary goal is the continued support for our Qdenga vaccine. The Clinical Assay group leads the deployment and support of assays to Contract Research Organizations (CRO) for clinical study endpoint testing.  We identify the assays, develop them if needed, and transfer them to CROs for subsequent qualification or validation.  We support critical reagent supply and characterization, and assay issues during the lifetime of the assay.

The Clinical Assay Intern will be trained on Takeda’s dengue MNT assay.  This is a cell-based neutralization assay used for determining Clinical subject antibody titer response to Qdenga.  The intern will learn both the manual and semi-automated versions of the assay and concepts behind cell-based assays.  Once the assay understanding is established, the intern will conduct studies to characterize critical reagents used in the assay prior to release to the testing CRO.  

How You Will Contribute:

As a Clinical Assay Intern, you will have the opportunity to…

• Support critical reagent development.

• Participate in a dynamic assay development team to improve clinical assays

• Learn methods used in clinical sample testing

• Learn the interactions between Clinical and Assay development teams in a major pharmaceutical company.

• Gain hands-on experience with the semi-automation of clinical assays

Internship Development Opportunities:

• Understanding of assays used in Clinical studies.

• Identification of relevant assays to meet clinical study needs.

• Gain lab experience on cell-based neutralization assays

• Explore how automation impacts performance and scalability of clinical assays

Job Requirements:

• This position will be fully onsite (4+ days/week) at the Cambridge, MA Central Square location.

• Must be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biology, Virology, Biomedical science or Chemistry.  

Internship Eligibility  

• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. on a permanent basis without requiring sponsorship  

• Must be currently enrolled in a degree program graduating December 2026 or later  

• The internship program is 10-12 weeks depending on the two start dates (May 26th-August 14th or June 15th- August 21st)   

• The intern must be able to commit to one of these time frames   

• Able to work full time 40 hours a week during internship dates   

• Takeda does not provide a housing stipend or relocation support for the U.S Summer Internship Program  

 Program Highlights:  

• Hands-on experience with real projects and responsibilities  

• Dedicated mentorship program pairing interns with experienced professionals  

• Networking opportunities with industry professionals and fellow interns  

• Internship events focused on professional and skills development   

• Exposure to multiple business areas or departments within a Pharmaceutical Organization  

Applic