2027 Future Talent Program – Development of a Multiplex Antibody-Dependent Cellular Phagocytosis – Intern

The Future Talent Program features internships that last up to 12 weeks and will include one or more projects. These opportunities in our Research and Development Division can provide you with great development and a chance to see if we are the right company for your long-term goals.

Position Description

The Exploratory Vaccines-Regulated Bioanalytics group supports vaccine research and development by designing and implementing innovative immunological assays used to characterize vaccine-induced immune responses. We develop and apply functional bioanalytical platforms that help advance vaccine candidates from discovery through clinical development.

The successful candidate will contribute to the development of a novel multiplex antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) assay designed to simultaneously evaluate functional antibody responses against multiple respiratory vaccine antigens. This internship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in immunology assay development, flow cytometry, vaccine bioanalytic, and data analysis while working alongside scientists supporting cutting-edge vaccine programs.

Antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) is an important antibody effector function that contributes to vaccine-induced immunity. Current ADCP testing is performed in a singleplex format, requiring independent analysis of each vaccine antigen. The goal of this project is to establish a bead-based multiplex ADCP platform capable of simultaneously measuring functional antibody responses against multiple antigens.

The intern will perform proof-of-concept studies to evaluate multiplex assay feasibility, optimize assay conditions, generate and analyze experimental data, and compare multiplex assay performance to established singleplex methods. This work has the potential to improve assay throughput, reduce sample and reagent consumption, and expand functional immunogenicity assessment capabilities for multivalent vaccine programs.

Primary Responsibilities:

Perform laboratory experiments supporting development of a multiplex ADCP assay.

Prepare and characterize antigen-coated fluorescent bead reagents.

Conduct cell-based functional assays using THP-1 cells and vaccine study samples.

Support flow cytometry sample acquisition and data analysis.

Evaluate assay performance, reproducibility, and multiplex feasibility.

Analyze experimental data using Excel and other analytical software tools.

Collaborate with scientists to troubleshoot and optimize assay conditions.

Maintain accurate laboratory documentation and experimental records.

Prepare technical summaries and presentations of project findings.

Present project outcomes at the end-of-summer intern symposium

Required Education:

Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. degree in:

Immunology

Microbiology

Biological Sciences

Biotechnology

Biomedical Sciences

Biochemistry

Molecular Biology

Related life science discipline

Required Skills:

Basic laboratory experience in immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, or related disciplines.

Familiarity with aseptic laboratory practices.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Ability to analyze data using Microsoft Excel or equivalent software.

Excellent organizational and documentation skills.

Effective verbal and written communication skills.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a research environment.

Strong attention to detail and commitment to scientific rigor.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with flow cytometry, including sample preparation and data analysis.

Familiarity with cell culture techniques and/or THP-1 cell handling.

Experience with immunogenicity, vaccine, or antibody-based assays.

Familiarity with FlowJo or similar flow cytometry analysis software.

Knowledge of antibody effector functions, Fc-mediated immunity, or phagocytosis assays.

Experience with multiplex assay platforms or bead-based technologies.

Exposure to data visualization or statistical software such as GraphPad Prism, R, Python, or JMP.

Prior research experience through coursework, internships, co-ops, or academic laboratory projects.

Learning Opportunities:

The intern will gain exposure to:

Functional immunology assay development and optimization.

Multiplex assay technologies and vaccine bioanalytics.

Flow cytometry and cell-based assay platforms.

Experimental design, troubleshooting, and data interpretation.

Bioanalytical support for vaccine development programs.

Scientific communication through technical reporting and presentations.

Cross-functional collaboration within a pharmaceutical research organization.

Expected Deliverables:

Proof-of-concept evaluation of multiplex ADCP assay feasibility.

Experimental data package comparing multiplex and singleplex assay performance.

Recommendations for future assay optimization and implementation.

Final scientific presentation summarizing project objectives, methods, results, and impact.

Please note that this position may be closed before the posted end date or may remain open longer, at the discretion of the company.

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.