Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Zymology Intern

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires a motivated Zymology Intern to join our fermentation science team. This internship provides hands-on exposure to lab and pilot-scale fermentation, yeast and bacterial propagation, analytical testing (HPLC, GC, spectrophotometry), sensory evaluation, and documentation under GMP/SOP guidance. The successful candidate will assist R&D and production in executing experiments, recording accurate data, troubleshooting process deviations, and contributing to product development and quality control initiatives. This role is ideal for a student or recent graduate looking to build practical skills in zymology, brewing, food fermentation, or biotech fermentation process development.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Undergraduate student in Fermentation Science, Microbiology, Food Science, Brewing Science, or Biochemical Engineering
Laboratory Assistant or Brewing Assistant with basic fermentation experience
Quality Control or Production Technician transitioning into R&D

Advancement To:

Fermentation Technician / Brewer Technician
R&D Associate, Process Development Scientist
Quality Analyst / Quality Assurance Specialist
Pilot Plant Supervisor or Fermentation Scientist

Lateral Moves:

QC Microbiology Technician
Sensory Analyst / Product Development Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Plan, set up, and execute bench- and pilot-scale fermentation trials under supervision, including media preparation, inoculation, temperature and agitation control, and end-point processing to support product development and scale-up projects.
Perform aseptic yeast and bacterial propagation, including starter cultures, pitching calculations, viability assessment using hemocytometer or automated cell counters, and routine sub-culturing per SOPs.
Monitor fermentation kinetics and process parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen, specific gravity, Brix, temperature) continuously and record readings in laboratory notebooks and electronic systems (LIMS or Excel).
Collect and process time-course samples for downstream chemical and microbiological analysis, ensuring chain-of-custody, correct labeling, and on-time delivery to analytical teams.
Operate and maintain analytical instruments commonly used in zymology, such as HPLC for sugar and organic acid profiling, GC for volatile compounds, UV/Vis spectrophotometers for absorbance assays, and refractometers for Brix measurement.
Perform routine microbiological assays including serial dilutions, spread/plating, colony counting, Gram staining, and yeast/bacterial purity checks to ensure culture integrity and product safety.
Conduct chemical analyses including residual sugar, alcohol by volume, titratable acidity, volatile acidity, and pH measurements according to validated methods and lab protocols.
Support sensory evaluation panels by preparing samples, documenting sensory conditions, and assisting in moderated tastings or descriptive analysis sessions; record sensory observations for R&D decisions.
Execute sterility checks, contamination isolation, and basic troubleshooting of off-spec fermentations in collaboration with senior scientists; document root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
Assist with scale-up and process transfer activities including preparing SOP/checklists for pilot equipment, coordinating material needs, and monitoring pilot fermenter runs for deviations.
Prepare reagents, buffers, growth media, and sterile supplies in accordance with laboratory safety and GMP requirements; maintain reagent inventory and log batch records.
Calibrate and perform routine maintenance on lab and pilot equipment (pH meters, DO probes, autoclaves, pumps, filtration units) and escalate repair needs to engineering or maintenance teams.
Support sterile filtration, centrifugation, and clarification operations for sample processing, and perform basic downstream handling such as cold storage and aliquoting of experimental samples.
Enter, clean, and analyze experimental data using Excel and basic statistical techniques; generate experimental summaries, charts, and concise technical reports for R&D review.
Contribute to experimental design discussions by proposing controlled variables, sampling plans, and hypothesis-driven tests to improve fermentation yield, flavor profile, or product stability.
Maintain meticulous laboratory documentation including lab notebooks, batch records, SOP checklists, and deviation reports to comply with QA and regulatory expectations.
Train and mentor other interns or temporary staff on basic lab techniques and safety protocols under supervision to ensure consistent technique and data quality across teams.
Participate in cross-functional meetings with production, QA/QC, supply chain, and flavor teams to align experimental goals with business and manufacturing needs.
Support raw material and yeast inventory management by logging lot numbers, storage conditions, and first-in-first-out (FIFO) usage for seed stocks and culture banks.
Implement Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in all experimental activities, including proper PPE usage, waste segregation, and biohazard handling.
Help develop and revise SOPs, batch instructions, and experiment worksheets by documenting best practices learned during trials and suggesting improvements for reproducibility.
Assist with regulatory and quality documentation requests during audits or product registration activities, ensuring that fermentation records and microbiology results are easily retrievable.

Secondary Functions

Support exploratory data analysis for fermentation runs using spreadsheets or basic scripting to extract actionable trends for senior scientists.
Assist the organization's data management efforts by ensuring experimental metadata is entered into LIMS, shared drives, or lab notebooks following naming conventions for future ML/AI use.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate experimental results into process improvement recommendations for scaling, cost reduction, or flavor optimization.
Participate in pilot plant scheduling, materials requisition, and SOP-driven execution of small batch production runs to gain practical manufacturing exposure.
Support sensory and consumer insights teams by preparing fermented samples and capturing sensory descriptors, acceptance scores, and statistical summaries.
Contribute to continuous improvement projects such as cleaning-in-place (CIP) optimization, yeast reuse strategies, or waste reduction initiatives under guidance.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Aseptic technique and sterile handling for yeast and bacterial cultures.
Yeast propagation, pitch rate calculation, viability and vitality assessment (hemocytometer, methylene blue, or automated counters).
Fermentation monitoring skills: measuring pH, °Brix, specific gravity, dissolved oxygen; interpreting fermentation curves and kinetic profiles.
Hands-on experience or familiarity with HPLC and GC operation, sample prep, and basic troubleshooting for sugar, acid, and volatile compound analysis.
Microbiological methods: serial dilutions, plate counts, streaking for isolation, colony morphology recognition, and basic contamination identification.
Spectrophotometry and absorbance-based assays including calibration and data interpretation.
Basic downstream techniques: centrifugation, sterile filtration, clarification, and cold-chain sample handling.
Instrument calibration and maintenance for pH meters, DO probes, balances, and temperature controllers.
Data entry and analysis proficiency: Excel (pivot tables, charts), basic statistics (t-tests, ANOVA), and experience with LIMS or electronic lab notebooks is a plus.
Knowledge of GMP, GLP, biosafety, chemical safety, and SOP-driven laboratory work.
Experience or coursework in brewing science, food fermentation, biotechnology, or biochemical process fundamentals.
Basic laboratory troubleshooting and root cause analysis for fermentation process deviations.
Familiarity with sensory evaluation protocols and ability to follow moderated tasting procedures.

Soft Skills

Strong attention to detail and meticulous documentation habits to ensure reproducible experiments and audit-readiness.
Clear written and verbal communication skills for reporting results and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.
Curiosity and proactive problem-solving: ability to ask the right questions, propose small-scale experiments, and suggest process improvements.
Team player mentality with willingness to help production or QA during critical runs and to receive constructive feedback.
Time management and organizational skills to juggle multiple experiments, sample collections, and data analysis tasks.
Adaptability to a fast-paced R&D or pilot plant environment and flexibility to work varied shifts if required for fermentation sampling.
Critical thinking and basic experimental design instincts to support hypothesis-driven R&D activities.
Professionalism and integrity in handling confidential formulations, data, and proprietary techniques.
Safety-first mindset with consistent compliance to PPE, chemical handling, and biohazard protocols.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Currently enrolled in or recent graduate of a Bachelor's program in Fermentation Science, Microbiology, Food Science, Brewing Science, Biochemical / Chemical Engineering, or closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Fermentation Science, Brewing Science, Microbiology, Biochemistry, or Bioprocess Engineering with coursework or labs in fermentation technology, analytical chemistry, or sensory science.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Fermentation Science / Zymology
Microbiology
Food Science / Food Technology
Biochemistry
Biochemical / Chemical Engineering
Brewing Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0–2 years (student internships, course lab work, or 1–2 short-term industry placements)

Preferred: 6+ months of hands-on laboratory or brewing/fermentation experience including yeast handling, bench fermentation, basic analytical assays, or prior internship in R&D, pilot plant, or quality control.