
A little bit about what I currently do for a living: I’m an analytical scientist for Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, here in the wonder West Greenwich, Rhode Island, and work as a contract worker for a large biotech company. I largely run the bioassays, particularly the ELISAs, on products designed for anything from lowering cholesterol to treating arthritis. Using the ELISA, which uses antibodies and a color change to measure substance, I quantify how much residual Chinese hamster ovary protein (CHOP) and Protein A are in the products. The Chinese hamster cells are necessary to produce the biopharmaceuticals, while the Protein A is used for purification, but both substances must be removed from the final product (and thus it’s my job to see that their levels are as expected). If you are unfamiliar with the ELISA, I’m sure you’ve seen it applied in the every-day world—the birth control test is a simplified, more rapid adaption of this method. Though at first glance it seems like a simple assay, especially in comparison to the sophisticated pieces of equipment we have, it is actually one of the most sensitive.