The LMB offers a variety of work experience placements for students in Years 10 to 13 (aged 14 and above). Our 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.
There are no placements available at this time. We are currently reviewing plans for 2025 work experience and will update this webpage with 2025 placement details by the end of November 2024.
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 Form the Future or 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
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.”