Michael Bishop was originally employed as a synthetic component designer and engineer for Weyland-Yutani, but by 2179 had assumed a senior position within the company's bio-weapons division.[citation needed] In this role he was responsible for the Origin Facility on LV-426. He was notably dispatched to Fiorina "Fury" 161 to retrieve Ellen Ripley from the Fiorina 161 Class C Work Correctional Unit.