Undergraduate Programs

MAY TERM COURSES

You can help fund summer scholarships and student career success through HORNRAISER!  The goal is $20,000 to fund four scholarships for Summer 2026 by November 30!  

The Department of Molecular Biosciences (MBS) at UT Austin is proud to offer intensive, one-month May Term bootcamp courses designed to prepare students with foundational and advanced skills for careers in research laboratories or the rapidly growing biotechnology sector. Texas is home to a vibrant biotech ecosystem, and our graduates are in high demand for high-paying, impactful roles in industry and research.

May Term is an ideal time for students to focus on learning and practicing new skills.  Students focus on experiencing what it is like to work full time in a research or biotechnology industry laboratory setting.   This is especially important for students that may not have had an early research experience or want to acquire new skills sets. 

May 2026 COURSES

Mammalian Cell Culture and Antibody Bioproduction focused on the sterile cell culture skills needed for the biomanufacturing industry.  The overall objective is to learn the skills necessary to express, purify and characterize human therapeutic recombinant antibodies Herceptin, used to treat breast carcinoma, and Cetuximab, used to treat non-small cell lung carcinoma.

CRISPR/Cas 9 Gene Editing and Human Disease involves investigating missense mutations that have been previously identified in patients diagnosed with Lynch Syndrome, a hereditary cancer syndrome that is caused by germline mutations at genes involved with the mismatch repair system. These mutations are variants of unknown significance (VUS), so the objective of the research project is to determine whether a missense mutation previously identified in a human patient is pathogenic or benign.

In addition, students will be able to earn micro credentials to be able to demonstrate to future employers the many biotechnology skills acquired during the May Term. 

APPLICATION FOR MAY TERM

TO APPLY FOR MAY 2026 TERM COURSES USE THIS LINK

Summer Research Opportunities

Summer internships are also possible for students from the May Term classes, several faculty and industry partners offer the opportunity to work over the summer.  Students will apply for these opportunities, and a limited number of scholarships are available. 
 

WHAT FORMER STUDENTS SAY!

"As a rising junior with no prior research experience, the Biotech Skill-up course (BCH 315T) gave me the opportunity to master essential lab skills in just a month and immediately apply them for the rest of the summer in a UT faculty lab - which I'm still a part of today! Before this program, I struggled to find research opportunities that genuinely interested me. The MBS scholarship gave me a direct path forward by making me a more competitive candidate through the May term training and connecting me to UT research projects that aligned with the skills I gained (e.g. protein purification) and my interest in the biological sciences.  Being involved in the Contreras lab has completely expanded my perspective on what the scientific community looks like. I've received mentorship I haven't found elsewhere and have had the best introduction to research I could've asked for - both as a result of this MBS program. Overall, the MBS summer scholarship and research experience has been truly invaluable to my undergraduate career - not only in developing my technical and analytical skills but also in inspiring me to pursue research within my future medical career."  Audrey Chu, May 2025 Student 

"The May term course provided me with the resources and experience I needed to help me build upon my knowledge and ability of performing different experiments used in a biotech lab." Austin Seo, Summer Scholar at Texas Dept. of State Health Services, May Term 2025 

"I’ve been doing computational genetics research for a little over a year now however my first love is molecular biology and the actual physicals mechanisms of these processes. So I was happy to hear that CNS was posted opportunity for students to get industry-level wet lab experience during the May Term!  I got to learn techniques like PCR, SDS-PAGE, different types of molecular assays, cloning for the first time, and adequate practice with these techniques. In the end, we earned credentials for these techniques, did resume reviews, and interview preparation for labs which eventually got me an opportunity to do research in Houston at a lab at Baylor College of Medicine where I worked on researching the roots of rare neurological diseases where I used some of the techniques I learned like SDS-PAGE! Overall, if you are an undergraduate looking to be part of a research lab I highly recommend enrolling!"  Ryan Nguyen, Computational Biology Major 

“The Biotechnology Skill Up course enabled me to familiarize myself with new techniques, and more importantly, it helped me address gaps in my understanding of methods I knew. Often, undergraduates only conduct research in one lab (maybe two) and become accustomed to doing experiments a certain way. Participating in a May Term course puts one in a new environment with different protocols and equipment, challenging one’s flexibility and understanding of their experiments. It’s essentially a chance for undergraduates to experience something akin to a graduate school rotation but without any pressure of joining the lab.” Alexa Morton, BS Biochemistry, 2024 

"The small-scale courses offered during the May Term, such as the CRISPR lab, were genuinely transformative. I was especially grateful because the program provided a list of research labs and offered a scholarship to those who secured a summer research interview. This mechanism was an invaluable benefit, as the May Term significantly opened up opportunities for me to secure research positions on campus, which is a great step toward my career goals. Furthermore, the accompanying summer scholarship was a tremendous financial relief. I also particularly valued the increased opportunity for close interaction with professors. Discussing career paths with faculty who have industry experience gave me a much clearer and more practical picture of the options available in this field. Beyond these practical advantages, the May Term, especially the hands-on CRISPR course, felt like the most meaningful academic experience of my undergraduate career, as I was finally able to perform a technique I had previously only read about. For all these reasons, I highly recommend the May Term to other students." May Term 2025 Summer Scholarship Student 

“If it weren't for the May-term course, I wouldn't have been able to get a research opportunity or pursue research as a career. The skills I learned during the course have been valuable and prepared me to take on more rigorous research opportunities. It opened doors to get involved in novel research happening at UT Austin in the Dickinson Lab. While I was there, I built my confidence to conduct independent research and apply my skills to find answers to questions we did not know about before. I have been able to apply various lab techniques as well, such as plasmid design, protein purification, and C. elegans injections, just to name a few. I was also able to improve upon my presentation, communication, and collaboration skills, too. But what stuck with me the most was when my professor told me that almost anyone can learn how to follow a protocol, but what makes research so special is developing your ability to think critically about how to tackle a challenging question and coming up with various ways to answer that question by taking multiple variables into account when running experiments. I really enjoyed the environment and appreciated the support of the community there, where I will continue to do research until I graduate in the Spring of 2026.”  Victor Corona Vargas, May 2025 Summer Scholarship Student 

Check out Caylee Gillis' story 

Hear from Kelton Deloney 

WHAT MENTORS SAY!

“The May Term Biotechnology program is extremely valuable to the Genomic Sequencing and Analysis Facility.  We recently accepted one of their students, Robin Breese, into the core for an internship to assist with processing samples for Next Generation Sequencing. Her internship was such a success that we offered her a full-time position once she completed her undergraduate studies. The program provides students with an opportunity to gain skills that are valuable to core facilities such as our genomics core and we look forward to utilizing more students from the program in the future”. 
  Jessica Podnar, Facility Director, Genomic Sequencing and Analysis Facility, Center for Biomedical Research Support 

“Typically, undergraduate researchers join a lab clueless of how to translate what they are learning in the classroom to real-like questions and experiments. This is a fantastic program that allows undergraduate researchers to come in with a lot more background so that they can hit the ground running and learn at a much higher level. It is a confidence booster for the students and the mentor in the lab, knowing that they can take an opportunity to really work on deeper training with the students and that they will remain enthusiastic about their participation in lab projects.“   

Dr. Lydia Contreras, Professor, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering 

“ A May Term student joined our lab as an enthusiastic early career scientist with a passion to learn! With the generous support of the program, the student made excellent strides in learning the basics of molecular biology and biochemistry. The student is continuing a research project through the Fall semester and beyond! I would gladly take another student this Summer.”  Dr. Ilya Finkelstein, Associate Professor, Molecular Biosciences 

“The May term program is a great opportunity for our lab to match up with talented, motivated students who are already trained on the basic techniques they need to use in our lab.  We recruited a great student our first year, who stayed in the lab as a researcher after his summer fellowship was over. We’ll definitely participate in this program again in the future." Dr. Dan Dickinson, Associate Professor, Molecular Biosciences 

"It has been such a privilege to work with the Biotech Skill Up Program for the last three years. The program has offered students a valuable opportunity to work alongside public health laboratory professionals and learn about a career pathway that is often unfamiliar to many students. This initiative has provided staff with the chance to teach and gain additional assistance from the interns which significantly impacted productivity. Their fresh perspectives and enthusiasm have enriched our work, and we’ve seen firsthand how this opportunity sparks their interest in making a positive impact on community health. We look forward to helping more students discover and pursue meaningful careers in public health, and we are grateful for the chance to be part of their journey." Esther Lee, Program Specialist, Tx Dept. Of State Health Services 

"The student I took from the May term turned out to be a great surprise. She was very motivated, organized, and independently sought to learn more content to contribute to the project." , Dr. Ethel Bayer-Santos Assistant Professor, Molecular Biosciences 

"I have had no hesitation when recruiting from the program because I know the students will have a versatile base in molecular techniques. This has been essential for our continued training of the individual in the more specialized techniques used in my group. I have seen the effectiveness of the program’s opt-in format where students self-select through their dedication and enthusiasm.  Because the course meets every day and the class size is small, I can get meaningful recommendations about individual students from the professor."   Dr. Lulu Cambronne, Associate Professor, Molecular Biosciences 

"The May Term project was instrumental in preparing undergraduates for lab work. Prior training in core methodologies allows students to approach new tasks with confidence and complete them with ease, allowing students to contribute meaningfully from the start." Dr. Jaime Lopez, Assistant Professor, Molecular Biosciences 

"The student that participated in research in our lab after completing the skills up program is great! She is motivated, asks wonderful questions, and has become a year-round student in our lab. I look forward to participating in this program again this year. Thank you again for setting this program up."  Dr. Arielle Woznica, Assistant Professor, Molecular Biosciences