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HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Trident Labs, a toxicology company, offers a service that hasn't been available locally.
The lab has the capability to run drug screening tests and confirmation tests for businesses, law enforcement and physicians, according to The Holland Sentinel ( http://bit.ly/1gQNL5m ).
Trident began moving into lab space at the Michigan State University Bioeconomy building in Holland Township in late June. The lab isn't quite set up yet, since Matt Rycenga, lab director, is waiting on some equipment.
Work starts with a screen test, which tells what drugs are in the urine sample. And then once that red light goes off, they can do a confirmation test, which gives more specific data, Rycenga said.
LC-MS/MS technology (or liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) for confirmation tests is already in the lab.
Rycenga, a Holland local who graduated from Hope College, is one of two doctors in the lab. He holds a bachelor of science in chemistry and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering.
He is joined at the lab by Dr. Peter Shireman, Trident Labs medical director. The company is also looking to incorporate technicians and college interns.
The total investment in the new company and lab will be about $500,000, said Dan Kelsey, Trident Labs CEO.
Trident already has many customers across the U.S., primarily east of the Mississippi River, he said. But there's also a desire to expand locally.
"What doctors and hospitals want most is accuracy and a quick turnaround, and we can provide that here," Kelsey said.
Rycenga added that turnaround time would be much quicker for local physicians and other parties using Trident than if they sent samples off to different parts of the country.
Often physicians use toxicology to ensure patients are taking medications, and at the proper dosages.
"The DEA is cracking down on doctors a little bit to make sure that they're following their protocols, and what we're doing is making sure and helping them achieve that — making sure that their patient population is well-managed," Kelsey said.
Although the company's current customer base isn't in the area, Kelsey and Rycenga agreed that the lab is perfect for their purposes.
"It's a great spot — probably couldn't have found a better spot to do what we're going to do," Kelsey said. "We landed here because it's a great facility. Michigan State has a lot to offer here in this facility. It's probably one of the better ones that I've seen in the state. . They've been great to us. We probably couldn't have done it without them."
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Information from: The Holland Sentinel, http://www.thehollandsentinel.com
This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Holland Sentinel.
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