Protein Design Intern

Syngenta Group•Durham, NC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Syngenta's Bioinformatics Team is seeking a Protein Design Intern in Durham, NC. This internship role will be part of a high-performance scientific team, developing cutting-edge skills in computational protein design to deliver innovative solutions for agricultural biotechnology. As part of Syngenta's Emerging Talent Program, you will gain hands-on experience, exposure to day-to-day business operations, and opportunities to apply your academic knowledge to real-world challenges while developing your professional skills.

Requirements

Current MS or PhD student in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Structural Biology, or a related field.
Proficiency in Python and/or R for bioinformatics (PyRosetta a plus).
Basic understanding of protein structure concepts (protein domains, structural alignment).
Familiarity with protein structure prediction methods (AlphaFold2, ESMFold, Boltz).
Familiarity with protein structure visualization (PyMOL or ChimeraX).
Experience with Linux/Unix command-line environments.
Knowledge of sequence analysis tools (BLAST, alignment methods).
Ability to work with large datasets and implement reproducible computational workflows.
Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with protein structure comparison tools (TM-align, FoldSeek).
Experience with protein function prediction tools (InterProScan or ESM-based methods).
Knowledge of protein databases (PDB, UniProt, AlphaFoldDB, ESM Metagenomic Atlas).
Experience with HPC or cloud computing (e.g., AWS).
Self-motivated, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Enthusiasm for learning new computational methods and tools.
Experience presenting technical work to multidisciplinary audiences.

Responsibilities

Apply structural bioinformatics methods to discover novel proteins.
Develop computational workflows that integrate sequence- and structure-based search algorithms to identify and rank protein candidates.
Leverage protein structure-based search workflows using tools such as FoldSeek, ESMFold, and Boltz.
Perform structural analysis and annotation of protein candidates.
Develop Python/Bash scripts for data processing and visualization.
Document workflows, create user guides, and present findings to cross-functional teams.
Collaborate with other scientists to refine research strategies based on biological insights.
Share results and learnings at team meetings and educate team members on workflows and results.