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Kelp Lab Core was set up in 2017 by Owen Micklewright after nine years working inside larger contract laboratories. The name comes from a stretch of coastline Owen kayaks regularly, where kelp beds are one of the more reliable indicators of water quality in the area. The…
Owen Micklewright spent eight years as a senior analytical chemist at a contract research organisation in the North West before founding Kelp Lab Core in 2017. His previous work included method validation for pharmaceutical stability studies and environmental monitoring contracts for two regional water authorities. A persistent frustration with turnaround times and opaque reporting at larger labs pushed him to build something smaller and more accountable. Outside the laboratory, Owen keeps a saltwater aquarium and has been a recreational sea kayaker for over a decade, which is where the name came from.