Internship: Plant Cell Culture Process Development R&D

TL;DR

Internship: Plant Cell Culture Process Development (R&D): Contribute to the development and optimization of plant cell culture processes in controlled bioreactor environments with an accent on biomass production. Focus on cultivating differentiated plant cells in vitro, optimizing cultivation parameters, and monitoring growth performance.

Location: On-site laboratory work at hirify.global HQ, Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium

Company

hirify.global is a growing international Belgian family business developing, producing, and distributing innovative ingredients for bakery, patisserie, and chocolate sectors.

What you will do

• Cultivate plant cells under sterile conditions in laboratory- and pilot-scale bioreactors
• Optimize cultivation parameters such as media composition, inoculation density, agitation, aeration, and culture duration
• Monitor and quantify growth performance and physiological parameters
• Perform routine sampling and basic analytical measurements related to cell growth
• Maintain aseptic technique and laboratory best practices
• Document experimental results and contribute to data interpretation and reporting

Requirements

• Master student (or final-year Bachelor with strong research interest) in bioengineering, biotechnology, bioscience engineering, biochemical engineering, plant or industrial biotechnology
• Hands-on experience with wet lab work, preferably from teaching or research laboratories
• Familiar with basic microbiological or cell culture techniques and sterile/aseptic working conditions
• Proficiency in English required, as it is the working language
• Motivated to work experimentally in the lab, comfortable working independently and in a team
• Curious about bioprocess development and scale-up

Nice to have

• Experience with plant cells, microbial cultures, or bioreactors

Culture & Benefits

• Hands-on experience in applied R&D at a global food innovation company
• Exposure to industrial biotechnology in a product-oriented research environment
• Close mentoring by experienced R&D scientists and integration in a multidisciplinary team
• Insight into scientific research feeding into long-term innovation pipelines
• Project can be adapted to support a master thesis depending on duration and background
• Inclusive global workplace embracing diversity and equal opportunities