Sharon Bell

Production Biochemist

I joined Trinity Biotech in January 2006 as a Production Biochemist in Bioprocessing.

Since starting I have been trained in a number of processes including; Fermentations, Antigen purifications and Buffer preparation. Our team is not involved directly in manufacturing finished products, but we are crucial in supplying various other internal labs with raw materials. On joining Trinity Biotech I was given detailed information on all the products manufactured by the company as well as the processes carried out in our Laboratories. Gaining such an understanding of what happens at every stage in the development of a product was very beneficial.

Our Laboratory also has three other production areas which include, tissue culturing, quality control and antibody production, so for the future there is a great possibility of being cross trained into these areas.

My experience in Trinity Biotech has been very enjoyable. The workforce in Bioprocessing is young and enthusiastic and because many of us started together we are at similar stages in our learning and our careers.

Lorraine Cunningham

QC Biochemist

My career in Trinity Biotech started in 2002 when I was placed here as part of a graduate work experience programme for three months. Needless to say I’m still here!

My first role was that of Production and QC biochemist working with some of the Infectious Disease product range. In this position my responsibilities included: manufacture, QC, stability studies, maintenance of equipment, investigating customer queries and documentation. In 2003 our lab expanded to incorporate more products into the portfolio, giving me a great learning opportunity. At this time I also travelled to the Trinity Biotech facility in Jamestown New York, to train the Jamestown personnel in Manufacturing and QC Technology procedures.

In my most recent career step I assumed the role of QC Biochemist, working within Haemostasis. This brought new and interesting challenges and responsibilities, as this particular product range had only recently been acquired.

Trinity Biotech has a lot to offer in terms of personal development. What’s more, the fast paced, dynamic environment together with an active sports and social club means there is never a dull moment. The freedom to work on your own initiative is strongly encouraged. This, coupled with being made feel like a key member of the team, is both motivating and rewarding.

Nyree Kelly

Interim Haemostasis Technical Support Manager

I joined Trinity Biotech in 2003 as a biochemist, working in the Radioactive Immunoassay lab, manufacturing diagnostic kits which are used to detect hyper- and hypothyroidism and SLE. After a challenging six months I was promoted to Team Leader of the group. While still involving the manufacture and testing of the RIA kits, this role also included the challenges associated with the management of the team. The new role also had the advantage of allowing me to work with other departments such as the Quality Department and Supply Chain division. My role progression was made very easy by the fact that the people I worked with were constantly full of enthusiasm.

After 7 months as Team Leader, I felt that I had gained a great deal of experience within the RIA group and decided to move to a position in the Technical Support Group for the Infectious Disease division of the company. This job varied greatly from my previous positions and was hugely challenging. The group offers technical support to the Capillus, RIA, Rapids, Tissue Culture, Bartels and Microtrak groups. I worked in this role for two years during which time I learned a huge amount about the viruses we manufacture, the diseases they cause and the products we market. Interacting with the various departments and levels across the organisation meant that my role was always interesting and engaging. The experience I gained in this position enabled me to apply for my current position of Interim Haemostasis Technical Support Manager. As Trinity is a young and growing company, the learning opportunities I have been afforded have greatly enhanced my career progression.

Ed Hyland

Filling and Finishing Supervisor

Three years ago I joined Trinity Biotech with an honours degree in Biochemistry. My first role was that of Production Biochemist in the Technical Rapids Group. This group is responsible for producing 4mm and 8mm rapid HIV test kits, which are some of our biggest selling and best known products.

Having gained a great amount of experience in this role I moved to a position in Bioprocessing, a very important lab as it provides the raw materials to the various other laboratories in the company. I found the work here thoroughly interesting and very rewarding.

I have been the Filling and Finishing supervisor for nearly five months now. Initially I had to go through a massive learning curve, to familiarise myself with the Freeze drying process, and the huge quantity of products that pass through the lab. With the help of an exceptional team leader and excellent support from my manager and assistant manager I quickly adapted to this challenging role. I work with a great team, and together we always ensure that jobs are done efficiently and to the best of our ability.

I am a huge supporter of our ‘Employer of Choice’ programme. To this end I joined one of our project teams whose goal is to make Trinity Biotech Plc. the Employer of Choice among people in the industry.

Brendan Fitzpatrick

Group Scrap Manager

I’ve worked with Trinity since March 2003 when I joined as Production Manager in the Infectious Disease Product Division. In February 2004, I became the site Continuous Improvement Manager; this position involved supporting the Bray operations team and managing such projects as Capillus Production Scale-up, Site Back Order and Slow Moving and Short Shelf Life Inventory Reduction.

At this point, I also became involved in a project to implement an integrated Manufacturing Cost Accounting system in the Bray site. As part of my involvement in such projects, I trained as a Six Sigma Champion and a Quality Lead Auditor. This training will complement my science, lean manufacturing and business training to date. Towards the end of 2005, I progressed to a new role in Trinity as Group Scrap Manager. The primary responsibility in this role involved the management and co-ordination of activities relating to scrap control and approval, inventory control and reduction across the group. A combination of a challenging and progressive environment has attracted me to the path I have taken within Trinity to date.