Research Internship on protein structure prediction models

Research Internship on protein structure prediction models

Cambridge

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical business and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. AstraZeneca Summer Internships introduce you to the world of ground-breaking drug development, embedding you in highly dedicated teams, committed to delivering life-changing medicines to patients. Our 10–12-week program is designed for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. We offer exciting opportunities across Research & Development, Operations, and Enabling Units (Corporate functions).

Our internships 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. This internship 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 us at the Center for Artificial Intelligence (CAI), where we are committed to accelerating biomedical research through the innovative use of machine learning. In this role, you will work on improving protein-protein structure prediction tools targeting antibody–antigen complexes. Specifically, you will investigate techniques from text and image diffusion models and apply them to state-of-the-art structure prediction frameworks to enhance performance for antibodies. The internship offers a unique opportunity to conduct high-impact research at the intersection of AI and drug discovery, focusing on projects that are central to our research and development portfolio.

Accountabilities

As an intern, you will be engaged with several key responsibilities, including:Engage in discussions and propose ideas to improve the performance of structure prediction models for antibody / antigen complexes.Investigate inference-time scaling strategies: Define and implement protocols for antibody–antigen structure prediction to systematically improve docking accuracy without model retraining.Integrate verifier-guided sampling: Operationalize fast physical proxies (e.g., clash score, buried surface area, Ramachandran outliers), and explore minimal-relaxation Rosetta scoring to steer sampling and selection.Implement MLOps best practices from the outset of the project.Collaborate with experienced scientists to benchmark the multi-task learning framework against existing developability predictors.Analyze heterogeneous structure datasets (public and internal), and carefully clean and standardize them.

Essential Skills/Experience

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and experience:

Essential:PhD candidate in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, or a related field.Knowledge of deep learning techniques.Strong programming skills in Python including Pytorch or equivalent frameworks.Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, with an interest in antibody design and development.Proven ability to collaborate in cross-functional teams and communicate scientific concepts effectively.

Desirable:Experience with protein structure prediction tools and / or diffusion models.This internship is a valuable opportunity to immerse yourself in the forefront of therapeutic antibody discovery, with access to the necessary 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. Our collaborative environment is designed to help you grow professionally and personally, surrounded by passionate individuals eager to make a difference. AstraZeneca is where you can immerse yourself in groundbreaking work with real patient impact.

Trusted to work on important projects, youll have the independence to take on new challenges while receiving all the guidance you need to succeed. Our collaborative environment is designed to help you grow professionally and personally, surrounded by passionate individuals eager to make a difference.

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca, starting with the recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics.

We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any reasonable adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now and join us on this exciting journey! #Earlytalent

Date Posted

30-Jan-2026

Closing Date

13-Feb-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.