Position description:

Calico is seeking an intern to join the Protein Science group. We are looking for a highly motivated, detailed-oriented, organized team player who is comfortable working on complex problems. The intern will work on the structural and functional characterization of proteins. The successful candidate will work with other members of the Protein Science team and collaborate with other groups at Calico to provide mechanistic insight into proteins of interest. The internship will provide the intern with valuable experience in scientific discovery in an industry setting. 

Responsibilities: 

• Express and purify recombinant proteins
• Play an active role in structural determination and assessment of protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions
• Perform and optimize protein activity and/or binding assays
• Communicate scientific results in a group setting

Position requirements:

• Currently pursuing a BS degree in biology, biochemistry, biological sciences or related field
• Experience working with recombinant proteins (expression in E. coli and mammalian systems, multi-step-purification, analysis, and structural determination) 
• Knowledge of general principles of molecular biology and protein biochemistry
• A strong interest in protein biochemistry
• Detail-oriented and organized
• Strong teamwork and communication skills
• Self-motivated with a “can-do” attitude
• Flexible, able to respond quickly to shifting priorities and able to multitask

About our Program:

Calico’s internship program is a paid 12-week program over the summer for students interested in understanding the fundamental science of aging and finding treatments for the associated and intractable diseases. Working in a collaborative environment and fully embedded in one of our labs/teams, Calico interns tackle a unique project under the mentorship of at least one of our scientists or engineers. 

Program Features:

• 3-month summer timeline
• In-person experience at our offices in South San Francisco
• Matching with at least one Calico mentor
• Group supplemental activities weekly featuring guest speakers, Senior Leadership spotlights, and discussion groups on aging science, our drug development approach, and more
• End-of-summer company-wide project showcase and poster session
• Competitive compensation ($45 - $70/hour) and monthly living expenses stipend
  

Nice to have:

• Familiarity with experimental structural biology techniques
• Prior experience with protein binding or functional assays would be helpful as would experience using an electronic notebook (such as Benchling), online registries (UniProt, NCBI, Protein Data Bank), and using software to design DNA plasmids (SnapGene) and to analyze protein structures (PyMol or ChimeraX)

Program Eligibility:

• Able to work in-person at our offices in South San Francisco
• Free for a consecutive period of 11-12 weeks in June, July, and August
• Not graduating before December 2026
  • Exception for students enrolling into a graduate degree program in Fall 2026
• Must be enrolled in a US university
• Must apply by application deadline: February 1, 2026.