Editor's note: Last year, Park Rapids Enterprise launched a new article series called “Where Are They Now?” We will highlight the achievements of local high school graduates. Park Rapids, Nevis, Menaga, and LaPorte are small towns in northern Minnesota, but they produce a lot of talent. If you know of a graduate from this region who has held a unique or exceptional job, won a prestigious award, or performed an extraordinary task, please contact editor Shannon Geisen at sgeisen@parkrapidsenterprise.com Please contact us.
When Michael Kempnich graduated from Nevis High School in 2009, he knew he wanted a career in science, but he didn't know what path that would take.
“Right now my main focus is on plasma cells,” he said. “They are cells that develop in the bone marrow and are very important for the functioning of the immune system. We are working on developing methods to purify these cells from relatively small blood samples. The procedure for detecting the disease is much less invasive. A blood sample can also be taken instead of a bone marrow sample. It is less painful for those who are already sick. It means.”
The son of Rick and Laura Kempnich, Michael grew up in the Nevis area.
His first introduction to the world of science was at a science fair at Nevis Elementary School.
Rusty Uscola, a science teacher at Nevis High School, furthered his interest in science.
“He had the most interesting projects that demonstrated the real-world application of the science we were learning,” he said. “He was also a mentor to the robotics team when it started, and I was also a member of that team.”
Kempnich attended his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and then earned a master's degree in marine microbiology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2020.
Contribution / Michael Kempnich
“I specialized in the relationship between phytoplankton and the bacteria surrounding toxic algal blooms,” he said.
Leveraging new technology
After graduating, Kempnisch's career turned to research, primarily with applications in the medical field.
“After graduation, I was hired as a lab manager for the lab where I was a student,” he said. “After working as a lab manager for six months, he was hired by Applied Cells Inc., a biotechnology start-up in San Jose.”
He has been working at the company for three years.
“We manufacture machines designed to isolate specific populations of white blood cells from human blood, bone marrow, or tissue samples using acoustic and magnetic separation,” he said. Ta.
“While our machines and processes are primarily applied in cancer and immunology research, we are also seeing applications for other research interests, including several research groups that have adapted our protocols to work with plant cells. is also attracting our attention.”
In addition to leading the company's magnetic reagent development, Kempnich regularly visits potential customers and demonstrates the machines in his lab.
“This has taken me all over the United States as well as Italy, Belgium, Germany, Finland, and several other places,” he said.
Contribution / Michael Kempnich
He met his wife Annie, a Lino Lakes native, while attending U of M. He has been married for 5 years.
“Our home is in the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains,” he said. “We're about a mile from Henry Cowell State Park, which is a popular tourist destination for hiking through the redwoods and where we like to take our dogs on weekends. It's just 20 minutes from the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and Pier, and close enough to San Francisco to make regular trips to see concerts and shows. “We both love it here. I like it.”
Laurie Scarpness has lived in the Park Rapids area since 1997 and has been writing for the Park Rapids Enterprise since 2017. She loves writing features about the people and wildlife that call the North Woods home.
