Intelligent Fingerprinting Launches 2018 Internship Programme

Press Release

Intelligent Fingerprinting Launches Internship Programme for 2018

Developer of revolutionary new fingerprint drug test provides internship opportunities for science students and post-graduates

UK-based Intelligent Fingerprinting – the Cambridge-based developer of a revolutionary fingerprint drug test – has announced details of its 2018 internship programme designed to support teenagers, under graduates and post-graduates in pursuing science-based careers.

At Intelligent Fingerprinting all interns benefit from a structured programme of science-based activities – including conducting experiments and trials of the company’s fingerprint-based drug screening technology.  These are customised to a student’s available time and incoming skill set. Targeted outputs cover improved products, new business processes, patent applications and scientific publications.

During their internships, students are introduced to all aspects of the Intelligent Fingerprinting business, including the company’s commercial, manufacturing and R&D operations – with interns attending team briefs every two weeks. Interns are also encouraged to question the scientific aspects of their work at the company and receive full mentoring and further training support where applicable.

“As a business we’ve already benefited significantly from having both graduate and post-graduate students working within the company. However, for 2018 we are keen to launch a formal internship programmes with partner organisations – reflecting the fact that our new fingerprint-based drug screening system is becoming available for use across the criminal justice arena, drug rehabilitation services, prisons and occupational health services sectors,” explained Dr Jerry Walker, Intelligent Fingerprinting’s Chief Executive Officer. “At Intelligent Fingerprinting we pride ourselves on having developed a reputation for strong science, and we’re committed to supporting the next generation of scientists by providing students with an opportunity to put their academic skills into practice.

“Our business was first funded in late 2009 as a spin-out from the University of East Anglia (UEA), following pioneering research by our founder, Prof David Russell, into the detection of drugs and drug metabolites in fingerprint samples – so we’re always aware of our industry’s responsibility to help support and develop the science community,” he continued. “That’s why we’re keen to provide our interns with interesting and significant work. Indeed, we’ve already had one undergraduate intern who has supported our product development by helping to run a two-week US-based trial study, while one of our postgraduate interns was also named on a patent application for his contribution to a project. The bigger the challenges we set our interns, the more they seem to enjoy it and the further they progress.”

Three-month and annual intern placements have been run to date, but other options are available. Successful applicants are required to pass at least two selection interviews, often including practical tests. During their Intelligent Fingerprinting internships, they will be presented with specific projects to complete – providing them with clearly-defined tasks that complement their university studies. Intelligent Fingerprinting, conscious that students must cover their costs, also pays its interns monthly. Any students interested in pursuing an internship with Intelligent Fingerprinting at its Cambridge HQ can either apply through their own university’s careers office, or apply directly to Intelligent Fingerprinting at careers@intelligentfingerprinting.com.  Applications for the company’s 2018 internship programme close on 24 November 2017.

To learn more about how Intelligent Fingerprinting’s non-invasive drug screening system works and how it has the potential to revolutionise drug screening, please view our introductory video:

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For media information contact Cheryl Billson at Comma
Email: cheryl.billson@commacomms.com  Tel: +44 (0)7791 720460

Notes to Editors:

About Intelligent Fingerprinting

Intelligent Fingerprinting’s unique fingerprint-based portable Drug Screening System is set to revolutionise the way drug screening is carried out across a range of sectors. The distinctive Intelligent Fingerprinting technology, which works by analysing the sweat from a fingerprint sample, enables non-invasive, cost-effective screening for multiple drug groups in less than 10 minutes.

Intelligent Fingerprinting has attracted worldwide interest in its technology from a wide range of drug-screening markets including the criminal justice arena, drug rehabilitation centres, prisons and occupational health services. The technique has potential for many other uses including healthcare diagnostics and homeland security applications.

The company’s ground-breaking technology detects drug use by analysing chemicals, known as metabolites, contained in the minute traces of sweat found in a fingerprint. (Metabolites are chemicals produced by the body as a result of normal metabolic processes.) The Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System looks for the presence of specific drugs or drug metabolites in the test subject’s fingerprint sweat sample and, if detected, identifies which drugs have been consumed.

Since 2012 Intelligent Fingerprinting has raised £11.23m in funding from a consortium of private UK and US-based investors, as well as government funding for pilot studies within the UK’s National Health Service and coroners’ services.

Founded in 2007, Intelligent Fingerprinting is a spin-out company from the University of East Anglia (UEA).  The company is based in Cambridge, England and currently employs 30 people.

www.intelligentfingerprinting.com

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