Molecular Life Sciences · R&D

Research at the bench, done with care.

A versatile lab researcher with hands-on depth in cell culture, CRISPR/Cas9, and lentiviral vector production.

Available now · 32 h/week · Central Netherlands
Portrait of Ricky Thijssen
About

I’m a molecular life sciences researcher who likes the precise, hands-on side of the lab — and I’m looking for the right R&D internship or junior research role to grow in.

My background spans two research internships at the UMCG — building lentiviral CRISPR/Cas9 systems and culturing iPSC-derived organoids — and a research technician role in an ISO 13485-regulated environment. I work carefully, document thoroughly, and enjoy both supporting a team and running my own experiments.

I’m currently completing a part-time HBO-MSc in Applied Molecular Life Sciences at HAN — an industry-focused programme that builds research, project-management, and professional skills alongside hands-on lab work. The workplace-learning structure means I can join an organisation for the long term while my coursework supports the projects I take on.

What I’m looking for

  • RoleR&D internship or junior research position — open to a 2-year workplace placement through my MSc
  • SettingsStart-ups & scale-ups, larger companies (e.g. J&J), or academic labs — regenerative medicine and cell/gene therapy especially appeal
  • AvailableImmediately, 32 hours per week (Monday reserved for study)
  • Based inBreda — happy to commute across the Randstad and beyond
Technical Skills

Techniques I bring to the bench.

Expert // daily, independent
Mammalian cell culture (iPSC & ESC) CRISPR/Cas9 engineering Lentiviral vector production & transduction RT-qPCR & PCR Organoid & spheroid differentiation
Proficient // confident, hands-on
Flow cytometry ELISA Western blotting Immunofluorescent imaging Assay development (ISO 13485) Microscopy Data analysis (R, Python) scRNA-seq analysis SOP writing & documentation
Familiar // working knowledge
Cell sorting Next-generation sequencing (NGS) LC-MS HPLC Design of Experiments (DoE) Quality by Design (QbD) GMP principles BSL2 conditions USP/DSP strategy FAIR data principles
Research Experience

Where I’ve worked.

Mar – Aug 2023
Graduation Internship — Parkinson’s Disease Model
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Independently developed a lentiviral CRISPR/Cas9 vector system to generate GBA1-knockout cell lines across HEK293, HUES9, and iPSC lines, with an inducible overexpression system to study disease mechanisms. Ran the full workflow from vector cloning through transduction and knockout validation, up to single-cell expansion.
Execution grade 9/10
Sep 2022 – Feb 2023
Research Internship — Human Intestinal Organoids
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Validated a novel iPSC/ESC-derived intestinal organoid protocol using spheroid microplates; performed brightfield and immunofluorescence microscopy and optimised stem cell and organoid culture conditions.
Nov 2023 – Apr 2024
Research Technician
Molecular Biology Systems · Goes
Developed and optimised PCR assays for the NGPCR thermal cycler within an ISO 13485-regulated environment — SOP writing, routine quality control, and testing of novel compounds to improve assay performance.
Sep 2021 – Feb 2022
BSc Research Project — XLA Disease Modelling
Avans University of Applied Sciences
Established a CRISPR/Cas9-based BTK-knockout model in Daudi cells to study X-linked agammaglobulinaemia; used flow cytometry to characterise lymphoid cell populations. Part of the Medical Research specialisation.
Feb – Jul 2021
Excellence Project — CRISPR/Cas9 gRNA Assay
Avans University of Applied Sciences
A 20-week elective project developing an in-vitro assay to test guide-RNA efficiency for CRISPR/Cas9. Transduced cells with RNP complexes and used qPCR to validate sgRNA functionality.
Beyond the bench
1st Prize · €10,000 Ricky's team winning the Smart Biomaterials Hackathon

Winning the Smart Biomaterials Hackathon for Regenerative Medicine

My team won first prize and a €10,000 development grant for a regenerative ACL scaffold — a prototype now under experimental validation. It’s the kind of work I love: translating molecular science into something that could reach patients.

Our team was later selected as a finalist in the Oxford Venture Builder Programme, building on the same project.

€10kGrant won
1stPlace · hackathon
FinalistOxford VB programme
Education

How I got here.

2025 – 2028 · in progress

HBO-MSc Applied Molecular Life Sciences

HAN University of Applied Sciences
Applied, industry-focused programme combining lab research with project management and professional skills. Modules in data analysis & experimental design, research & product development, and R&D business strategy.
2024 – 2026

MSc Healthy Society

Fontys University of Applied Sciences
Thesis graded 8.3/10. Broadened my view of how science reaches people — and confirmed the lab is where I belong.
2019 – 2023

HBO-BSc Biology & Medical Laboratory Research

Avans University of Applied Sciences
Major in Medical Research, minor in Biomedical Innovation. Graduation internship graded 9/10.
Get in touch

Looking for someone like me?

If you have an R&D internship or junior research opening — or just want to talk about whether there’s a fit — I’d love to hear from you.