Biotechnology Internship at Nestlé, Switzerland | Probiotic Bioprocessing
How do live probiotic cultures become shelf-stable powders for nutritional products? This biotechnology internship at Nestlé Research & Development offers practical experience exploring that process. Based in Konolfingen, Switzerland, the six-month placement combines fermentation, drying trials and microbiological analysis, with approximately 70–80% of the work taking place in the laboratory.
- Position: Biotechnology Intern
- Department: Science & Technology
- Location: Konolfingen, Switzerland
About The Company
Nestlé Research & Development brings science and technology together to develop solutions for nutritional products. The Konolfingen team’s work includes probiotic production, with projects examining fermentation and downstream processes that transform bacterial cultures into stable finished ingredients.
Biotechnology Internship: Role Overview
The intern will help develop and optimize processes for producing probiotic bacteria. Working with laboratory-scale bioreactors and potentially pilot-scale equipment, you will investigate how fermentation and drying conditions affect bacterial survival during manufacturing and product storage.
The role combines experimental work with data processing, interpretation and scientific reporting.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the planning and execution of probiotic fermentations using laboratory-scale bioreactors.
- Help optimize fermentation parameters and manufacturing processes.
- Conduct drying trials to investigate strategies for limiting bacterial losses during production and shelf life.
- Analyse probiotic samples using microbiological methods.
- Contribute to the exploration of new probiotic bioprocessing technologies with this Biotechnology Internship.
- Compile, process and interpret experimental data.
- Prepare reports and presentations, discuss findings and plan next steps with scientific colleagues.
Education and Experience For Biotechnology Internship
Applicants should be bachelor’s or master’s students, or recent graduates, in Biotechnology, Industrial Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biology, Molecular Biology, Food Science or a related scientific field.
Candidates should also bring:
- A good understanding of microbiology and microbial growth.
- Strong interest in fermentation, industrial biotechnology and bioprocess development.
- Initial practical experience with fermentation, bioreactors, microbiological methods or laboratory experimentation through coursework, academic projects or internships.
- Confidence handling experimental data in Excel.
- Fluency in English.
Preferred Skills and Attributes
Experience with Python, R, MATLAB or another programming language for data analysis and visualization is a strong advantage. Knowledge of German is also advantageous.
The team values curiosity, a structured approach and practical problem-solving, alongside clear communication and collaboration. Candidates should be comfortable investigating unexpected experimental results and learning from them.
Learning Opportunities and Benefits
The placement provides experience across fermentation, downstream processing and probiotic manufacturing, supported by collaboration with experienced scientists. Interns can strengthen both laboratory and data-analysis skills while learning about industrial biotechnology applications.
Listed benefits include learning and development opportunities, a healthcare contribution, access to an Employee Assistance Programme and employee discounts. Compensation is not specified in the supplied posting.
Biotechnology Internship – Application Details
- Start: February or March 2027.
- Duration: Six months.
- Attendance: Onsite in Konolfingen.
- Application review: Applications are reviewed as received; the role may close once a suitable candidate shortlist is identified.
- Hiring process: Typically a Talent Acquisition video interview, hiring-team interviews and a final discussion.
For candidates who enjoy practical microbiology and want to understand how laboratory processes translate into manufacturing, this biotechnology internship offers a chance to follow probiotics from culture to powder. Bring your experimental skills and curiosity to research focused on keeping beneficial bacteria viable throughout production and storage.
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