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Program Summary:  

This internship is offered as a part of the Life-Health Sciences Internship Program (LHSI). This program connects 125 IU Indianapolis undergraduates per year with internships on campus with faculty and staff in a variety of health and science related campus areas/programs. All LHSI internships start in August 2025 and end in May 2026 and are paid $13/hour for up to 10 hours per week. Work-study is accepted but not required. 

Supervisor: Dr. Scott Aoki

Department/Office: Medicine; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Overview of the internship site: The Aoki Lab (scottaokilab.com) combines multiple biochemical methods with C. elegans, a small living worm, to determine the biological purpose of nucleic acid-protein complexes as transmitters of information across cells and generations. This work requires development of new ways to study protein function in the context of a living, multicellular animal. Our mechanistic discoveries serve as an entree into understanding healthy and diseased states in humans. C. elegans is used because of its ease in genetic manipulation, fast generational time, and stellar imaging capabilities. The strategy is to discover conserved mechanisms in worms that can later be explored in vertebrate models and in the clinic. Current work investigates how C. elegans forms RNA-protein complexes to make the cells destined to become sperm or oocyte. Since Fall 2019, I have mentored 3 graduate students, 4 LHSI undergraduates, and 3 post-baccalaureates. My work is broadly centered around the basic science how RNA-protein complexes regulate gene expression, and thus training from the lab is applicable to future graduate and professional students interested in a strong foundation in biochemistry, genomics, and cell biology. Essential duties: Basic molecular biology. This includes agarose plate pouring, DNA/RNA extraction, recombinant DNA cloning, PCR, gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Worm biology. This includes worm maintenance, gene editing, and fluorescent imaging. Assisting in the processing, analysis, and presentation of data. Students will also assist in maintaining laboratory organization and record keeping, including sample tracking, equipment maintenance, and maintaining laboratory notebooks.  

Website for more information: scottaokilab.com

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Basic molecular biology. This includes agarose plate pouring, DNA/RNA extraction, recombinant DNA cloning, PCR, gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Worm biology. This includes worm maintenance, gene editing, and fluorescent imaging. Assisting in the processing, analysis and presentation of data. Student will also assist in maintaining laboratory organization and record keeping, including sample tracking, equipment maintenance, and maintaining laboratory notebooks.

Work Environment and Dress Code: The work is performed primarily in a lab setting; with dress code closed toed shoes required

Hours per week: 10, scheduling is flexible within regular work hours

Project-specific qualifications: Students are expected to work independently, document all work performed, and be courteous to others.

By the end of the LHSI program, you will:

·        Carefully consider, explore, and articulate your career goals, including an analysis of how you arrived at that path and what steps you need to take next. (Community Contributor, Communicator)

·        Understand your role and strengths on a professional team and analyze who you would like to become as a professional. (Communicator)

·        Gain and strengthen skills relevant to next steps after graduation, such as communication, collaboration, teamwork, analysis/synthesis/evaluation, independence, confronting/challenging failure, problem-solving and perseverance, and constructive criticism. (Problem Solver, Communicator)

·        Convey ideas and knowledge effectively through an ePortfolio and presentation of your internship work. (Problem Solver, Communicator)

·        Set and meet your own additional learning goals identified with your supervisor.

LHSI Qualifications  

must be graduating May 2027 or after (usually a current freshman or sophomore in Spring 2025)   

Current full time IU Indianapolis undergraduate in 2025-26  

minimum overall GPA of 2.0   

All majors welcome 

To apply:

LHSI accepts 125 interns per year. All available sites are listed in Handshake and will start with the position title “LHSI Intern.” Complete the application for LHSI at go.iu.edu/lhsi and list 3-4 internship sites on that application. You will meet with at least 2 of these if selected for interviews.