LMB work experience placements provide hands-on experience of working in an academic research institute, with priority given to underrepresented students. Placements may be within an LMB research group, scientific facility or support services, highlighting the variety of roles that underpin our cutting edge research.
Applications are open for placements for:
Electronics Workshop
An electronics-based work experience placement in the Electronics Workshop, running in July or August 2025.
- Deadline to apply – 25th April 2025
- Interviews (30-minute casual chat) – 6-9th May 2025
- Candidate announced by 16th May 2025
What we do
Our purpose in the Electronics Workshop is to design and make custom electronic equipment that the research scientists are unable to obtain commercially. This equipment can range from a simple cable assembly to complex computer-controlled devices with unique embedded software and electronic circuitry.
We work will all the divisions of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB) across a wide range of disciplines, meaning that our expertise has to cover a very broad spectrum of electronics applications. Each job is tailored to meet the scientist’s precise needs.
Work Experience host
What to expect on the work experience
During this placement you will get to design and make your own piece of electronic equipment, including writing the software on the Arduino platform. You will also gain experience of making printed circuit boards, soldering, using electronic test equipment and mechanical hand tools, as well as learning how an electronics team functions day-to-day.
Who we are looking for
This placement is ideal for a student, aged 16 to 19, looking at a career in electronic engineering. The selected student will ideally be interested in; Electronics, Coding, Biomedical research.
Key qualities:
- A keen interest in electronics and embedded software
- Good attention to detail
- Good maths and science skills
- Problem solver
It is expected that all students accepted for a placement at the MRC LMB are punctual, responsible, show a willingness to learn, listen to advice and act on feedback.
How to apply
Email engage@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk with:
- Date of birth
- Year group
- School/ College you attend
- Reasons for applying to this placement
- Suitable skills and qualities you can bring
The MRC LMB can reimburse all reasonable transport costs with a receipt. We provide a lunch voucher for up to £5 each day of the placement in our canteen. We cannot offer overnight stays.
Additional placements will be advertised via this webpage when they become available.
If you are an undergraduate student, you may be interested in our Student Placement Scheme.
For any questions relating to work experience, please email Public Engagement Team.
Placement details
Placement length
Depending which placement you apply for, the advert will tell you how long they run. Advertised work experience placements from the LMB can vary from 1-2 weeks (usually in July and August).
If selected for work experience, you will be expected to attend all days of the placement.
Food and travel expenses
For all students who applied to an advertised work experience placement via our website we will cover reasonable travel expenses and offer a voucher to cover food and refreshments (approx. £5 a day) throughout their placement. This is given as a voucher which is covered in cost after spending by the LMB.
Meet our work experience students
2024 Rotational placements
The LMB organised a Work Experience rotational programme in summer 2024 aimed at local students.The programme consisted of two rotation weeks for cohorts of 10 students (20 in-person placements in total). LMB partnered with Form the Future who promoted the programme and helped selecting the students. The Year 10 placements took place on 8th – 12th July and the Year 12 week was on 29th July – 2nd August.
During their placements the students spent most of their time in pairs doing hands on work in labs and or facilities. They also work shadowed in one of the support services and attended workshops about Health & Safety, drug discovery, animal research, scientific publications, science communication, bioinformatics, and a scientific talk. To learn about different paths in science, they attended a careers roundtable, inspirational talks by female scientists and a workshop about CVs and interviews.
At the end of the week, each pair of students prepared a presentation to share some of the scientific concepts or techniques that they had learnt in the labs with the rest of the group.
Quotes from the students:
“It is very insightful to the world of science and is plenty of fun with knowledgeable friendly staff”
“It was a brilliant opportunity to talk to people in research and get some hands-on experience in a lab”
“World class institute with amazing facilities and friendly staff. They take care of the students here and encourage me to work here”
“Various activities & workshops, realistic experience at lab, can learn lots if you put your time to it”
Quotes from 2023 placements
Siena – hosted by Magda Sutcliffe
“I really enjoyed the setting. LMB is so welcoming and different to anything I have ever seen. Learning to use the various equipment was great.
I plan on pursuing medicine and so seeing how the lab work can be applied to healthcare was extremely useful. It also provided the possibility of an alternative lab job in the future.”
Tolu – hosted by Magda Sutcliffe
“I really enjoyed the experience at the LMB. My highlights were going into the lab and doing hands on work instead of just observing. It emphasises the difference between small school labs and real-world labs.
I want to study pharmacy, and this has solidified my decision as I’ve read an article that shows how molecular biology and pharmacy link and how it affects the medical industry.”
Annabelle – hosted by Millie-Jane Adcock
“The highlights of my time at the LMB were gaining new lab skills such as using pipettes and various robots.
This experience has sparked an interest in laboratory work and careers in research because I found the work very interesting and enjoyed working in the laboratory environment.”
Summer – hosted by Lori Passmore
“I really enjoyed having a tour of the building to see all the equipment that gets used and learning how it’s used to aid research. I also really enjoyed the hands-on experience and getting to help conduct real experiments to see how methods are used and build my confidence and skills when doing practical work.
I felt free to ask questions about university and career paths after that and I received informative, honest answers. I plan on doing a biochemistry degree at university, and this placement confirmed that this is definitely the route I want to take.”
Mariana – hosted by Lori Passmore
“Throughout this fantastic experience, I aided in a variety of experiments but my favourite has to be the CPF PAS changing an immature mRNA into a mature mRNA. Although the knowledge needed is years away in my academic career my hosts always ensured I understood, breaking down concepts and applying it to facts I learn in my current A-levels.
Originally, I worried about the work life balance in a research lab, but I learnt the lab is a community of people who consistently share knowledge and help each other. I plan to follow a more research focused life plan.”
Rami – hosted by Boglárka Anna Vámos
“Some of the highlights at the LMB was discovering how researchers used Cryo-electron microscopy to understand Alzheimer’s and even won an award, I found that quite inspiring. I also enjoyed using new tools and equipment for example centrifuges and vortex and learning a new way of pipetting I thought that was really engaging.
My time at the LMB has given me some clarification that I would like to do a health science (biomedicine) as before I wasn’t quite sure as I knew the content that would be taught but wasn’t sure what type of practical things I could be doing. I’ve never had any hands-on experience outside of school, so this was really eye opening and a unique opportunity to have.”
Raufaeel – hosted by Andy Howe
“The highlight of my time at the LMB was learning to solder as it was a new skill.
The placement has been useful in helping me make decisions about my future because I was able to receive career advice from experts and it allowed me to understand the potential risks and benefits of each one of my ideas.”
Quotes from 2022 placements
“Working in a research-focused environment was something I found very enjoyable. I liked the emphasis on taking the time to do something right instead of making something commercially for a profit.”
“My time at the LMB was my first hands-on experience in a lab outside of school. During this time, I really enjoyed learning about and seeing what a career in science might look like. I particularly enjoyed learning about and examining Drosophila melanogaster, as well as learning about how they could be used to aid research and test out theories in the lab. I also thoroughly enjoyed carrying out a bacterial protein expression and learning about the science behind this.”
“My time at the LMB has certainly been very helpful in guiding my decision-making over my future career, as it has given me first-hand insight into what a career in science might entail. I had a great time while I was here, and I plan to pursue a career in this field.”