New partnership connects students to start-ups
St. Olaf College and University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL) announce the continuation of an internship experience designed to build practical skills alongside Twin Cities start-up companies. The internships provide students with hands-on experience and mentorship with biotechnology startups, developing practical skills applicable to both commercial and post-graduate settings.
“The UEL Biotechnology Internship Program is an incredible example of how we can connect the power of a St. Olaf liberal arts education to the centers of innovation in Minnesota and beyond,” Bryan Shealer, senior associate director for employer and alumni career engagement, said.
Envisioned as a recurring summer internship, the UEL Biotechnology Internship Program with St. Olaf will provide students with hands-on experience in commercial laboratories alongside innovative biotechnology startups. During the program’s pilot this past summer, there were five students who participated with four different biotech startups: Claros Technologies, Grip Molecular Technologies, Jord Bioscience, and NovoClade. Each student was paired with a mentor at their respective startup in St. Paul.
“You need that next generation of talent engaged to have a healthy innovation ecosystem,” Sam Shuster, executive director at UEL, said. “The pilot program helped inform us on what to do in the future. The program with St. Olaf underscored our initiative of building a laboratory setting specific to training students and interns. We want to train and develop young people to go into medical innovation as a career and develop the future workforce of Minnesota.”
For participating students, the UEL Biotechnology Internship Program will begin with intensive technical training in laboratory safety, documentation, and core lab techniques before they are placed with a resident company for an immersive, practical job experience. Throughout the internship, participants will engage in weekly seminars focused on business fundamentals, lab-based entrepreneurship, and professional networking.
Students interested in participating can apply for the internship starting in January of 2027. Host companies will be determined by UEL.