Graduate R&D Scientist Co-op: HTS Plate Development Spring 2027

***THIS IS A 6-MONTH CO-OP STARTING JANUARY 4, 2027 THROUGH JUNE 25TH, 2027. TO QUALIFY, THE CANDIDATE HAS TO BE ACTIVELY ENROLLED IN AN ACADEMIC PROGRAM- NO RELOCATION STIPEND PROVIDED***

At MilliporeSigma, they are at the forefront of life sciences, working tirelessly to tackle the industry's toughest challenges. By collaborating with the global scientific community, they strive to enhance health access worldwide. Their mission is clear: to equip scientists and engineers with top-notch lab materials, technologies, and services, making research and biotech production simpler, faster, and more successful. With a dedication to shaping the future of drug development, they’re with our customers every step of the way, pioneering tomorrow's possibilities.

MilliporeSigma’s Biochemistry R&D team in Milwaukee, WI is seeking a graduate co-op student for a full-time, on-site, six-month assignment (January to June 2027). The co-op will help develop high-throughput screening (HTS) plate products that support drug discovery and development: dry- and liquid-plated biochemical reagents, buffers, biorelevant media, and screening matrices in 24-, 48-, 96-, and 384-well formats. The student will plan and run experiments, analyze data, and present a final project to the team.

Key responsibilities:

• Prepare biochemical reagent solutions and formulations (buffers, salts, sugars, cofactors, excipients, and DMSO stocks) for plating.
• Operate or support solid and liquid dispensers, analytical balances, and plate-handling equipment.
• Help build dispensing workflows: plate layouts, dispensing parameters, dose ranges, and in-process controls.
• Measure fill accuracy, precision, and well-to-well and plate-to-plate uniformity (gravimetric, UV-Vis/plate-reader, or HPLC).
• Support plate qualification (sealing, barcodes, storage, freeze-thaw, reconstitution, end-use performance); evaluate carryover, evaporation, edge effects, and solvent compatibility.
• Help troubleshoot precipitation, evaporation, carryover, and inconsistent well dosing.
• Document plate maps, dispensing instructions, protocols, and reports; share results with R&D, Analytical, Manufacturing, Quality, and Automation; follow EHS safety practices.

Requirements:

• Currently enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program studying Biomedical Engineering; Biochemical or Chemical Engineering; Pharmaceutical Sciences or Pharmaceutics; Biochemistry; Chemistry
• Hands-on experience with 24- to 384-well plates (manual or automated liquid handling, plate sealing, or plate-reader assays).
• Working knowledge of solution preparation, solubility, and solvent compatibility, including aqueous and DMSO systems.
• Experience planning experiments, keeping accurate lab records, and analyzing data (Excel; JMP or similar a plus).
• Clear written and verbal communication; works independently and in a team.
• Available full-time (40 hours/week), on-site in Milwaukee, WI, January to June 2027.
• Preferred: automated liquid handlers or solid dispensers, low-volume dispensing, HPLC/UPLC, LC-MS, UV-Vis, or Design of Experiments (DoE).