Ginkgo Bioworks
Lily Fitzgerald working in Ginkgo Bioworks labs on applying engineering principles to making new and useful organisms (Photo courtesy of Barry Chin)
“During my internship at Ginkgo Bioworks, I built custom biological organisms on a factory scale, used manufacturing principles to improve the science of genetic engineering, and worked to streamline and automate laboratory processes. This internship gave me incredible, first-hand exposure to cutting-edge industry science. I learned an entirely new field, and ultimately obtained a full time position at Ginkgo, where I continue to grow and learn as an Engineer on the Build team. The work at this company is so inherently interdisciplinary, requiring me to think about physics, computer science, chemistry, and biology simultaneously and to collaborate with brilliant specialists across many fields. I know that my time in the multi-disciplinary UMass iCons Program has been instrumental to my success at Ginkgo, and I continue to draw on the skills and attitudes I acquired as an iCons student. MLSC, UMass iCons, and Ginkgo Bioworks have given me an incredible start to my career in science.”
– Lily Fitzgerald, UMass Amherst, class of 2014