Students are the next generation of scientists and creators, and their development is an integral part of our operations at BLINK. Each term we receive many applications from students for internships and thesis work at BLINK. These applications cover the spectrum from Bachelors to Masters to PhD thesis projects, all playing a role in developing both the students and BLINK’s technology.
The projects are not limited to the theoretical realm, rather they are structured to focus on real-world outcomes, providing an experience for students to see theory put into practice. They cover a range of disciplines from engineering to chemistry to computer science.
Once students are selected, they are partnered with a BLINK staff member who guides and supervises them during their thesis work. Many of these students transition to full-time employment at BLINK upon completion of their thesis project.
Lea Kanitz
Lea joined BLINK in 2016, when the company was starting out, based in incubator labs in Jena. This was during the initial discovery phase of the business, when the concept of the Nanoreactor Beads was born. At the time, there was concern that Bead matrices may have a detrimental effect on PCR efficiency. This shaped Lea’s Master’s thesis, The Influence of the Agarose Matrix on the Efficiency of Quantitative PCR. Lea looked at different matrix compositions and reaction conditions and helped lay the groundwork for what later became the standard formulation of the archetype Nanoreactor Bead. Following completion of her thesis, Lea joined BLINK as an R&D Scientist and has been working on developing the fundamental process for Bead synthesis. Today, Lea is managing the Bead synthesis facility at BLINK, working at the core of BLINK’s technology.
"I feel incredibly fortunate to have joined BLINK at such a pivotal time and to have had the chance to contribute to the early development of our Nanoreactor Beads. It's been deeply rewarding to see my research grow into something so impactful for the company, and I am excited to continue building on that foundation with such a visionary team."
Katharina Heise
Katharina completed her Masters’ thesis at BLINK in March 2024. Her project, Characterization of DNA-Binding Properties of Nanoreactor Beads, investigated the mechanisms and structural underpinnings of how DNA is bound and released from the Nanoreactor Beads. She investigated a number of analytical techniques, such as a kinetic test, a capacity test and digital PCR, and compared different models for later analysis such as Langmuir and Freundlich analysis. Through Katharina’s work, she was able to introduce new methods into BLINK nanoreactor bead characterization routines.
Katharina joined BLINK as a full-time research scientist, and is now an integral part of BLINK’s Bead development team.
"Itis exciting to be part of a company as innovative as BLINK. I’ve had the unique opportunity to grow from a student researcher to a full-time scientist. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see my work on Nanoreactor Bead characterization contribute directly to our technology's success and evolution. Being able to explore new methods and integrate them into our core processes has been both a professional and personal highlight, and I’m excited to keep pushing boundaries with such a talented team.”
If you are interested in completing your thesis at BLINK, or undertaking an internship, please contact us or keep an eye on our Careers page, where we list available internships.