As summer comes to a close, we wanted to highlight Adam Kensinger, who joined our R&D team as a summer intern. Find out about his experience at Jackson ImmunoResearch, the leading manufacturer of secondary antibodies.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I am a rising senior at Juniata College studying biochemistry. At school, I do metal coordination chemistry research. When I’m not in the lab, I like to hike, listen to music, and play chess.

How did you spend your time in the lab?

During my internship, I was responsible for helping lab technicians complete various assays such as Western Blots, Coomassie stains, ELISAs, and Biuret tests to develop future products for Jackson ImmunoResearch. For the ELISA assays, I was trained to use a robotic pipette machine.

Most valuable learning experience?

The most valuable learning experience for me was simply being a part of a professional laboratory environment. This was my first internship or job related to biochemistry. I got to experience how the company operates and I worked with several laboratory technicians who took time to train me well.

One thing you learned that was not taught in the classroom?

I learned that having lab partners is invaluable because having someone else check your work can be a lifesaver when working with many samples.

What surprised you most about your internship experience?

I was surprised by how much the day to day work of the Product Development department changes. They work on several projects at once, requiring knowledge of many techniques.

What’s next?

After I finish my senior year at Juniata College, I plan to enter a biology or biochemistry graduate program and eventually earn a PhD. I would like to have an industry career in a biotechnology research lab.

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