Northeastern University student Mercedes Garate joined Nanopath, a molecular diagnostics company working to improve patient care by delivering actionable molecular information during a single office visit, through the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center’s (MLSC) Internship Challenge. As a Bioengineering major with a minor in Business Administration, she quickly became a standout contributor to the company’s Assay Development team. Through her technical abilities and strong collaborative approach, Mercedes earned recognition as an honorable mention for the MLSC’s inaugural Susan Windham-Bannister Life Sciences Intern Award.
During her time at Nanopath, Mercedes demonstrated an impressive ability to grasp complex lab protocols and quickly began taking on tasks independently. Her initiative and curiosity allowed her to refine the company’s existing quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) protocol, improving data quality and efficiency. Additionally, Mercedes took on a significant responsibility in processing and analyzing more than 50 clinical samples. Managing a large volume of data with care and precision, she handled over 1,000 data points without any errors.
In addition to her technical skills, Mercedes showcased strong teamwork, communication, and leadership qualities. She took on additional responsibilities during tight deadlines, assisted colleagues, and consistently offered insights to streamline laboratory workflows.
Mercedes’s impact was so strong that she was invited to return to Nanopath for a second internship. Her inspiring dedication to both her work and her team reflects the core foundation of the MLSC’s Internship Challenge, which prepares students for careers in Massachusetts’ world-leading life sciences ecosystem.
Since 2022, Nanopath has hosted ten internships with support from the MLSC totaling over $53,000. Additionally, in 2023, Nanopath received a $43,750 grant through the MLSC’s MassNextGen Initiative and has since raised more than $20 million in follow-on funding.
The MLSC is currently accepting nominations for this year’s Susan Windham-Bannister Life Sciences Intern Award, which recognizes an outstanding intern whose contributions made a meaningful impact on their host organization. If your organization hosted an Internship Challenge intern during the 2025–26 program year, we encourage you to learn more about the award and submit a nomination form through the program’s webpage. Nominations are due on March 31, 2026.
