Second Summer at Labcorp Lays Foundation for Career Path

Erikson Allen arrived at NC State University thinking he’d pursue chemical engineering, but being a student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has helped him discover his ideal work style and the kind of career that truly fits. Allen wants to do more than just design systems. He wants to be in the lab, running experiments and explaining the science.

Now a biochemistry major with a minor in biomanufacturing in the Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, Allen is honing his skills at the lab bench, where hands-on, detailed experiments fuel his curiosity and drive. 

The Greensboro, North Carolina, native is spending his second summer at Labcorp as a validations and reagents intern. Headquartered in nearby Burlington, Labcorp provides laboratory services for diagnosis and healthcare decision making. It operates one of the largest clinical laboratory networks in the world and has operations in over 100 countries.

Allen spoke to CALS about his second summer internship at Labcorp, where he is rewriting the company’s standard operating procedures to help verify new processes and running workplace drug tests to detect specific substances in urine samples.

What got you interested in interning at Labcorp?

This is my second summer with Labcorp as a validations and reagents intern. Before getting this role, I spoke to Labcorp at a couple of NC State career fairs. After learning about the company and its work, I reached out to the recruiter and Labcorp alumni to hear their experiences before my interviews. Using my knowledge and experience from NC State, I was able to get my foot in the door.

Describe the work you’re doing.

I work with MedTox, a subsidiary of Labcorp. MedTox develops and manufactures drug tests and drug screening products. They’re introducing new quantitative readers to interpret test results more accurately and to reduce errors.

My role involves rewriting their standard operating procedure (SOP) for gravimetric testing, which focuses on their high-concentration stock solutions. The SOP helps verify that the new quantitative readers operate effectively, enabling them to enter the market efficiently and safely. I’m also converting their existing volumetric method into a gravimetric method. The new approach involves adding precise amounts of solutions by weight rather than volume, ensuring greater accuracy. 

What are high-concentration stock solutions, and how are they used?

I run direct tests of high-concentration urine samples for workplace drug testing at MedTox, focusing primarily on solutions that detect drug concentrations or metabolites. To create these test samples, I start with stabilized urine known to be negative for a specific drug. Then I add precise amounts of substances, such as norfentanyl, until reaching the targeted concentration, say 200 nanograms per liter. I do this using gravimetric testing. We’re focused on detecting fentanyl because many people unknowingly ingest it through contaminated illicit drugs. Our solutions ensure accurate screening, crucial for new hires or individuals being monitored for substance use.

“We’re trying to shift the perception around positive results. Rather than seeing these results as failures leading to punishment, Labcorp wants to reduce the stigma and, instead, support people.”

We’re trying to shift the perception around positive results. Rather than seeing these results as failures leading to punishment, Labcorp wants to reduce the stigma and, instead, support people. The goal is not penalization but rehabilitation, helping employees get off substances and remain employed. Especially with substances like fentanyl, which many ingest unknowingly, the priority becomes guiding people toward resources and help. Ultimately, we’re focusing on consumer-friendly testing solutions emphasizing recovery and forward movement, rather than judgment or job loss.

How does this experience build on your CALS coursework? 

At CALS, I gained a broad range of theoretical and practical knowledge, from pipetting to chromatography. At Labcorp, my role is more specialized. We focus primarily on producing drug tests and formulating conjugates to ensure accurate results across the company. Unlike the various subjects studied in school, I’ve found that industry requires concentrating on one specific area. At Labcorp, we examine assays using urine as the test matrix. We analyze how the body breaks down drugs, identifying target metabolites at specific concentrations and time frames. Industry work is streamlined, allowing me to apply my education directly toward a focused goal.

What surprises have you encountered during your internship?

When I interned at Labcorp last summer, I was surprised about how focused we were on production. I thought we had to work on many different things at once, but it’s not like that. Instead, we have this overarching goal and have been working toward it for years. We also have a secondary objective, such as producing a certain number of drug tests. Industry is busy. Industry is connections. Industry is networking. But when you get into this space, you also realize that industry is steady, continuous work. You come in every day, and while it might not feel like you’re doing much moment to moment, pipette to pipette, you’re gradually building towards that overarching goal.

“Industry is busy. Industry is connections. Industry is networking. But when you get into this space, you also realize that industry is steady, continuous work.”

How has your internship helped clarify your career goals?

Last summer, I had a passive interest in gene therapy. I knew I could pursue gene therapy as a concentration with my minor in biomanufacturing, but it wasn’t something I thought about much. However, throughout the summer, I started looking into Labcorp’s and similar companies’ offerings and realized that gene therapy aligned with my post-university goals. So, I reached out to my supervisor and Labcorp employees to learn more about gene therapy and how I could fit into these programs. Through this summer’s internship, I realize I have a very real chance of continuing with gene therapy because this is a career that I’m interested in. It overlaps with my research, and I wouldn’t have come to this conclusion if I hadn’t interned at Labcorp.