Predicting HCP-biologic interactions Internship

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical business and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. AstraZeneca has long been an advocate of student work placement training! These placements immerse students in the pharmaceutical industry, allowing the opportunity to contribute to our diverse pipeline of medicines whether in the lab or outside of it. You will feel trusted and empowered to take on new challenges, but with all the help and guidance you need to succeed. At AstraZeneca, you will engage in meaningful work within a pioneering research and development organization. This placement will help you develop essential skills, expand your knowledge, and build a network that will set you up for future success. You will be surrounded by curious, passionate, and open-minded professionals eager to learn and follow the science, fostering your growth in a truly collaborative and global team.

Introduction to role

Join our pioneering teams within the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Analytical Sciences, where you will work towards improving drug manufacturing processes through cutting-edge machine learning techniques and exposure to large proteomic datasets. This project focuses on predicting host cell protein (HCP) interactions with biologic drugs, addressing critical challenges in drug purification and enhancing drug product quality. By contributing to this initiative, you'll dive into AI and machine learning applications within pharmaceutical manufacturing, ensuring drugs are both safer and more effective for patients.

As part of your internship, you'll gain hands-on experience with advanced machine learning techniques applied to real-world challenges in drug manufacturing. Additionally, this project will give you the chance to work with leading experts on proteomics and data analytics. You'll also have the opportunity to contribute to experimental data analysis, applying machine learning insights to improve data validation strategies.

Accountabilities

As part of this internship, you will undertake the following key responsibilities:

Collaborating with scientists to curate and prepare comprehensive training datasets for predicting HCP interactions with biologics.

Developing, training, and optimizing machine learning models to enhance prediction accuracy.

Validating model predictions using diverse data sources to ensure the robustness of AI tools.

Engaging with proteomics data to support the development of AI-driven analytical processes in drug manufacturing.

Essential Skills/Experience

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and experience:

Essential:

• Foundational knowledge in machine learning, computational biology, bioinformatics, or related fields.

• Experience with machine learning frameworks and handling biological data.

• Proficiency in with Python, especially for data manipulation and modelling tasks.

• Experience working with large-scale datasets in bioinformatics

Desirable:

• Familiarity with protein-protein interaction prediction models and biological sequence analysis.

• Experience with techniques related to mass spectrometry and proteomics.

• Experience with protein language models.

Applications will now be open until 7/03/2025.

Start date 02/06/2025 – 22/08/2025 however this can be flexible.

You can expect to hear from us by the end of March 2025.

This internship is a valuable opportunity to immerse yourself in the forefront of biopharmaceutical innovation, with access to essential computational resources and mentorship from leading experts in the field. If you are ready to transform your technical knowledge into real-world applications, we encourage you to apply and become a part of our team driving innovation at AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.