Pearl River Laboratories Inc is pleased to announce its new summer intensives and internships program.
Drawing on the extensive pharmaceutical and educational experience and background of several staff members, Pearl River Laboratories has created a summer intensive and summer internship program for college students. We offer a period of work experience giving students exposure to the work environment, which relates to their field of study, typically in science or a healthcare-related field. At Pearl River Laboratories, we believe on-the-job experience can be as valuable as what is learned in a student’s studies. Intensives and internships give students the opportunity to really understand what a specific process or a job is all about by working in that environment. We feel Internships are great opportunities to speak directly to people who have experience in the role they aspire to; knowledge of the job and work environment will give students a greater understanding of what it’s all about and what they need to do to progress in their studies and career.
Meet Our 2020 Interns
Ruben Sriskanda
Ruben is a rising junior at Carnegie Mellon University majoring in Chemical Engineering. Ruben spent time working in the lab with Amar Prashad, the President and CSO, and Raymond Singh, Head of Separations Science, learning about process development of bio-conjugates and analytical method development. He prepared several antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and analyzed them by hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) to determine drug antibody ratio (DAR), unconjugated antibody amount and conjugate profile. In addition, he analyzed these conjugates for aggregation level using size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Both analytical methods (HIC & SEC) were set up by Ruben with little or no supervision. Ruben was a quick study and a pleasure to work with in and out of the lab. All of us here at PRL wish Ruben well in the coming year and indeed through the completion of his studies.
Olivia Strohmeyer
Olivia is a rising Sophomore at the University of Buffalo majoring in a 5-year combined BS/MS Public Health program. Olivia’s six-week internship consists of six modules focused on: The Drug Development Process, Quality Systems, Medicinal Chemistry, Lab Experimentation, Public Health and Career Development.
A Week in the Life of a Summer Intern - Follow Olivia’s internship journey
Week 1
“During my first week, I received personal training and mentoring from the knowledgeable staff. I was exposed to the various types of laboratory equipment such as a HPLC, iCE, CE, UV, rotary evaporator, etc. In addition, I learned about the drug development process and all that it entails. This helped me understand the big picture from the discovery to post marketing phase, and how PRL fits into that equation. Not only am I learning about the pharmaceutical industry and the different roles and responsibilities, but I am working closely with Lugene Maher, Head of Business Operations, to develop my career development plan. The career plan will help me set goals for myself in the near and distant future.”
Week 2
“During my second week at PRL, I continued to work closely with the staff on the drug development process, more specifically learning about regulations and SOPs. In addition, I learned about the importance of quality systems and received GMP training from Michael Pastel, Head of Quality Assurance. Another colleague, Raymond Singh, Head of Separations Science, took the time to explain and teach me about the importance of method development with HPLC when in a lab, in anticipation of starting in the lab full time next week. I participated in the Quarterly Safety Review meeting as well as the bi-monthly team meeting. In addition, I also had the opportunity to speak with two Pfizer employees, former colleagues of Lugene, who explained to me their career journey. By having these Meet and Greets, I have been introduced to new jobs and areas that I could possibly focus on in the future. Throughout the whole week, I continue to work on my career plan and my public health case study on the coronavirus virus.”
Week 3
“This week I was able to go into the lab and gain hands-on experience. I read the SOP on using the HPLC system. Reading the SOP gave me a better grasp on how important an SOP is in operation and maintenance of an instrument. Then using the HPLC method description, I prepared mobile phases for a Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography (HIC) method. I also continue to work on my Covid-19 public health case study and my career plan. I did more research on the resources provided by my college, The University at Buffalo, for public health students and the different types of jobs that recent grads have. I look forward to continuing my work in the upcoming weeks.”
Week 4:
During my fourth week, I finished my career development plan. Lugene and I discussed updating my LinkedIn Profile, and how to make new connections to build a network. I also finished my Public Health Case Study in preparation for my presentation at the conclusion of my internship. In addition, I began to work independently in the lab with the HPLC and prepared to run and write-up experiments for next week.
Week 5:
This week I worked 100% in the lab. I created mobile phases for the HPLC according to my method. I followed the SOPs closely while in the lab. Raymond assisted me when needed and explained/taught me about each and every step with running a HPLC. I created a sequence according to my method and input the correct parameters into the OpenLab software. Being able to have hands-on experience reinvoiced what I have learned outside the lab.
Week 6:
During my final week, I continue to work in the lab synthesizing Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) to run on the HLPC. I ran these samples on Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography (HIC) and Size-Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) columns. In addition, I learned about the cutting edge mRNA technology and the importance of a mRNA vaccine. I realized mRNA technology could play a crucial role in the future while dealing with other novel infectious diseases. Finally, I finalized my resume and LinkedIn page.