Two College students are doing more than imagining what a career in biotechnology is like. Through the BioTran internship program at the Hudson Alpha Institute based in Huntsville, Ala., Ben Henderson and Abigail Shelton are gaining real world experiences while enhancing their education.

The internship is very competitive, and only 10 percent of those that apply are selected annually for the opportunity. Since the inception of the BioTran internship in 2009, more than 1,300 students have applied and only 88 have been accepted to participate.

Ben Henderson is a senior from Hazel Green, Ala. studying biological sciences. His internship will be in genomic services bioformatics where he will work with Hudson Alpha researchers, faculty and investigators at the Cummings Research Park (CRP) Biotechnology Campus.

Shelton is a rising sophomore from Harvest, Ala. studying molecular biology and genetics as well as psychology and music. She will be interning in the research laboratory with Clarient, a company that specializes in diagnostic technologies to assess and characterize cancer.

For the first week of the internship, students will attend a Biotech Boot Camp, where they will demonstrate proficiency of lab skills before going to their individual assignments.

The Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology is the cornerstone for CRP Biotechnology Campus, which is housed in a 270,000 square foot state-of-the art facility that is located in the nation’s second largest research park. The BioTran internship is just one of the many educational outreach opportunities provided by Hudson Alpha, whose mission also includes genomic research and economic development.