Rubin Lab
Rubin Lab
Program Type
SURGH
Organization Name
Internship Location
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Boston, MA
Organization
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains one of the world’s greatest public health threats, killing more than a million people each year. The Rubin Laboratory investigates M. tuberculosis and its interaction with the host to inform the development of new therapies.
Because the pathogen is hazardous and requires extensive training to handle safely, undergraduates in the lab work with related model organisms or non-tuberculous mycobacteria—organisms that still allow students to explore key biological processes relevant to TB.
By the end of the internship, students will have gained a foundational understanding of TB biology along with a deeper understanding of the specific processes and experimental methods investigated in the lab.
Position Overview
The selected intern will join the research team and engage directly in bench-based research. Under the mentorship of a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow, the intern will learn about TB research, project background, experimental planning, and data analysis.
Project Details
Past undergraduate projects have ranged from fundamental basic science (e.g., studying the molecular mechanisms underlying cell division) to more applied research (e.g., evaluating potential antibiotics against non-pathogenic relatives of M. tuberculosis).
All undergraduate projects are designed to be safe and do not involve work with M. tuberculosis.
Intern Responsibilities
Work directly with a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow
Assist in designing, executing, and analyzing experiments
Participate in regular discussions about project goals and research progress
Learn and apply relevant laboratory techniques and data analysis methods
Contribute to maintaining laboratory notebooks, data organization, and experiment documentation
Qualifications
Preferred:
Biology background and strong interest in basic science
Previous laboratory experience (including classroom-based lab coursework) is helpful but not required
Learning Outcomes
Understanding the impact of tuberculosis on global health
Practical knowledge of the scientific research process, including experimental design and data analysis
Technical knowledge of assays and laboratory methods used in mycobacterial research
Nature of Internship
Infectious Disease research internship.
Work Environment
This internship is fully in person.
Additional Onboarding for Selected Intern(s)
Required online safety training prior to starting laboratory work
Keywords
Research, Infectious Disease