Internships: Real Experience with a Research Angle

Traditional internships, while valuable, usually involve on-the-job training assignments, but some Roanoke internships incorporate a strong research component.

During the summer of 2006, Amanda Grace Strand '07 completed a very productive internship at Novozymes Biologicals in Salem. She applied polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedures to a multitude of purposes, one using DNA isolation; she became familiar with the Pilot Lab's nitrifier fermentation operations; and she worked on a real time PCR machine. Dr. David Drahos, the senior group leader in research and development, says that, "Strand was well trained and competent like so many of the Roanoke College interns."

Amanda Grace Strand '07 tests biologicals that may ultimately change the way agriculture or aquaculture growth is conducted during her internship at Novozymes Biologicals.