5 Notable Biotech Internships for Students and Recent Grads

Breaking into biotech often takes more than strong coursework. Employers look for real exposure to how science turns into products, how small teams operate under pressure, and how research, engineering, and business decisions connect in practice. That’s where internships, especially at startups and early-stage organizations, can make a real difference.

Across the U.S., a growing number of programs are giving students and recent graduates hands-on access to the life sciences ecosystem, from accelerator-backed startups to university-affiliated biotech hubs and citywide workforce initiatives. Some focus on lab training, others on software, operations, or commercialization, but all offer direct experience working alongside professionals building real companies.

Whether you’re aiming for a research role, a product or engineering track, or a broader view of how biotech companies are built, these five notable biotech internship programs in the U.S. offer structured pathways to gain experience, mentorship, and industry exposure early in your career.

As one of the most prestigious startup accelerators and venture capital firms in the country, YC has backed more than 100 healthcare startups since its inception in 2005, including biotech companies. Its very first investment in the sector was in Ginkgo Bioworks in 2014, and since then, they've continued supporting promising healthcare startups. A few notable alumni in health and biotech include Solugen, Asher Bio, Reverie Labs, and Athelas. 

Y Combinator does not run a formal internship program, but its Work at a Startup platform connects students and recent graduates with open roles, including internships, at YC-backed startups. Opportunities vary by company and year, and can include biotech and health-tech startups across the U.S. and globally. For candidates interested in early-stage environments, the platform offers a direct path to hands-on experience working with small teams and company founders.

A major part of LifeSci NYC's mission is to establish New York City as a global leader in life science careers and the organization's internship program is a paid initiative designed to connect undergraduate and graduate students with life sciences employers across the city. Weill Cornell Medicine's Enterprise Innovation, the Alexandria Center for Life Science, and Cure are among the participating organizations.

For the academic year 2025–2026, there are a few key dates to note. At the time of publication, applications for summer 2026 are open, and prospective interns are encouraged to apply for their preferred season, whether that be during the academic year or in the 10-week summer session.

Another organization offering college students the chance to intern in the life sciences industry is Project Onramp. With locations in Boston, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Diego, and the San Francisco Bay Area, students are matched with some of the world's leading healthcare and biotech companies for immersive, paid internship experiences.

What sets Project Onramp apart is its dedicated support for students from under-resourced backgrounds. According to their official website, 100% of participating students identify as low-income, and many are first-generation college students and/or BIPOC. Blueprint Medicines and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals are two of more than 124 companies that have hosted Project Onramp interns.

Benchling, a cloud-based platform for biotechnology research and development based in San Francisco, offers paid summer internships through its university recruiting program, with roles most commonly available in engineering and software-related teams. Internships typically run for 10 to 14 weeks. Interns work on real projects alongside full-time employees, gaining exposure to how software tools support modern biotech research and development.

The internships are typically advertised by December and are open to current students and recent graduates. Benchling staff review applications on a rolling basis and notify students if there's a good fit. Because mentorship is a core focus of Benchling's internship program, all internships are conducted on-site at their San Francisco headquarters.

For UC Berkeley students interested in exploring a career in biotech, Break Into Biotech is an excellent opportunity to consider. Hosted by UC Berkeley’s Bioengineering Department in partnership with QB3 (the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences), the program is open to applicants in their second year of study or beyond.

During the five-week training program, interns gain hands-on experience in labs and develop both technical and professional skills that support their future studies and careers. According to testimonials on the QB3 website, participants reported learning valuable lab techniques such as bacterial cloning, protein purification, and therapeutic protein manufacturing. The combination of hands-on training and mentorship has made the program a notable success in just a few years of operation.