Biotechnology Process Engineering Center

Exploring Work and the World Through an International Internship

International internships can be invaluable means for students to gain early knowledge about the workforce—and the world—that they will enter after graduation. The Biotechnology Process Engineering Center (BPEC) at MIT is committed to helping to develop a diverse and globally engaged workforce in its field and supports its students in pursuing international internships.

In the summer of 2003, graduate student Alexandria Sams completed an internship in London at Astra-Zeneca (AZ). A leading pharmaceutical company, AZ develops prescription medicines that target cancer, cardiovascular and central nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal infections, pain control, and inflammation. Alexandria worked in Charnwood, England, at the Advanced Science and Technology Laboratory. The Lab acts as an interface between scientists at Astrazeneca and various academic labs, helping to identify, refine, test, and apply breaking technologies to critical areas of AZ research.

Alexandria worked on a diverse array of projects, providing important exposure to different specialties that she could consider for further study and career development. One project included developing a high-throughput screen for drugs that cause hepatic steatosis, the abnormal accumulation of lipid droplets within liver cells. Another sought to evaluate potential drugs for their inhibition of bile transport in the liver, which could be useful in eliminating harmful drug candidates early in the discovery pipeline.

Alexandria found the internship to be eye opening in improving her understanding about the differences between work in academia and work in industry. "In industry, there is definitely a greater emphasis on team effort," she said, "and on streamlining the process for getting a product to market. These experiences will be invaluable as I make my career decisions." Alexandria found being overseas-and in England for the first time-to be richly rewarding. "I had a wonderful time learning about a different culture," she said. "From learning how to navigate the rotary, to following a cricket game, to making fish and chips, my time in England was a great adventure!"

To learn more about this topic:
See the Biotechnical Process Engineering Center's web site at http://web.mit.edu/bpec/

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Graduate student Alexandria Sams, of
MIT's Biological Engineering Division.

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Last modified: February 24, 2005