From The Classroom to The Lab

When Natalie Quan (MBP '18) was considering the Master of Science in Biotechnology program (MBP) at Northwestern University, she was drawn to the varied experiences that would be available to her, both in and out of the classroom.

One of those experiences that appealed to her was the optional six-month industrial internship. Natalie was excited to be able to take the knowledge she learned in the program and apply it in a real-world setting.

Quan did her internship at Amicus Therapeutics from January to June 2018. She went on to get a full-time job at Amicus, where she currently is an associate scientist on the protein purification team.

Natalie spoke about her internship experience, what she learned and how it helped prepare her for her current day-to-day responsibilities.

What was it about MBP that first appealed to you?

The well-roundness of the MBP program was what first appealed to me. While this program is slightly longer than other programs, the time is necessary to complete the coursework, gain research experience, and gain industry experience. Most other programs do not have the same types of opportunities.

Where did you do your internship?

I completed my six-month internship at Amicus Therapeutics during the winter and spring terms from January to June 2018.

What were your responsibilities at your internship?

During my internship, I rotated through three functions of the Process Development group in the Technical Operations Department. Those functions included:

• Upstream: cell culture development
• Downstream: protein purification
• Analytical development

Throughout each rotation, I learned how to execute the experiments for each function and their overall responsibilities. This also gave me a better understanding of the drug development process from the bioreactor to drug substance.

Toward the end of the internship, I was responsible for executing an experiment that encompassed all three functions. Specifically, the experiment started from inoculating and maintaining the bioreactor to purifying the drug through the multi-step purification process and analyzing samples from each step of the process. This project culminated in a final presentation that was given to the whole team.

What were two highlights from your internship experience?

One of the highlights from my internship experience was rotating through various functions in the Technical Operations department to get an overview of what each function does. I loved trying out the different experiments and roles and learning which ones I preferred. Another highlight from my internship was having a supportive mentoring community at work. Everyone at Amicus was enthusiastic to teach me what they do and so willing to help me out when I had questions.

What were two or three things you learned from the opportunity?

I learned how to use and independently operate laboratory equipment that I had little prior experience with. This was fundamental in executing experiments and understanding how the theoretical principles are executed practically through the equipment. I also gained a better sense of drug development through the specific pharmaceuticals that Amicus is developing and all of the work involved to bring a drug to market.

How important is the internship to the overall MBP experience?

The internship is definitely important to the overall MBP experience. It gives students the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge learned through coursework in a practical setting. It also functions as a transition period in which students can see if this is really the career path that they want to pursue, and if so, what kind of company and role they see themselves in.

How would you describe your MBP experience?

I really enjoyed my MBP experience. MBP is a well-balanced program that teaches students the fundamentals of biotechnology that are necessary to succeed in the industry. Simultaneously, the program allows students the flexibility to tailor the program to their interests via the research requirement and electives. I was able to not only gain industry experience, but also work on cutting-edge research in an academic laboratory. I was also very involved with my MBP cohort and served as an officer in the Association of Biotechnology Students (ABS). This contributed to my experience because I was working with others and forming a community among the students.

How do you describe what you do in your current role at Amicus Therapeutics?

I am currently an associate scientist on the protein purification team at Amicus Therapeutics. The protein purification team functions to recover the drug from material produced in bioreactors. The purification is done through a series of chromatography steps that are specifically aimed at clearing particular impurities via different mechanisms until the purified drug is recovered.

My role is to optimize this purification process via experiments that help us further understand how certain parameters will affect recovery and purification results, and then use this information to inform process changes that increase efficiency and improve the overall process.

How did MBP prepare you for your current role?

MBP prepared me for my current role as an associate scientist in protein purification by teaching me the fundamental principles that underlie the work I do today. Without this knowledge, it would be difficult for me to actually understand why specific experiments are done and how they are executed. This information is also necessary in understanding how to improve the process and make the protein purification more efficient.