For some scientists, words like “undrugged protein” are almost a personal challenge. That simple phrase sparks a fire that fuels an intense drive to characterize the protein, solve its structure and develop a molecule that will bind it and produce a beneficial phenotype.

That’s how Dr. Val Watts feels about adenylyl cyclases. These GPCR-activated enzymes are promising targets for efforts related to chronic pain and many other health conditions. While more than 50% of approved drugs in the United States target GPCRs, there are currently no therapeutics targeting the downstream adenylyl cyclases.

“The fact that they are undrugged today…I take this challenge so seriously that I have a tattoo of adenylyl cyclase on my arm,” Val says. “I want to drug them before my time in academia is over.”

Val Watts is the Associate Dean for Research and a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Purdue University. The Promega Academic Access Program has helped him bring technologies like NanoBRET® protein interaction assays into his lab at reduced costs. Technologies acquired through the program help Val’s team generate unique insights into adenylyl cyclase behavior in live cells, monitor critical molecules and much more. Their participation in the Academic Access Program and their growing relationships with Promega scientists have helped the lab navigate financial constraints while still pushing their research forward.

Continue reading “Tackling Undrugged Proteins with the Promega Academic Access Program”

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease that can result in progressive loss of vision. While AMD typically affects older adults, a specific rare type of AMD called Malattia Leventinese/Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy (ML/DHRD) can appear as early as the teenage years. Although ML/DHRD is rare, its study may provide insights into broader mechanisms of retinal degeneration, which could benefit millions affected by AMD.  

While the genetic cause of ML/DHRD is known, there have been no small molecule inhibitors identified that reduce the production of the disease-causing protein. However, researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Minnesota recently published a paper that describes a small-molecule inhibitor that addresses the primary pathology of ML/DHRD. In the paper, titled “GSK3 inhibition reduces ECM production and prevents age-related macular degeneration-like pathology,” the team used CRISPR-engineered cell lines to study production of the disease-causing protein in response to treatment with inhibitors. The work was supported by the Promega Academic Access Program, which helped defray the costs of needed reagents. Their results point to future strategies for developing therapeutics at the currently incurable disease.

Continue reading “Academic Access to Cutting-Edge Tools Fuels Macular Degeneration Discovery”

On September 25, Promega Research Scientist David Mokry addressed a full audience at the International Symposium on Human Identification. The event brings together people from the forensic DNA industry – criminalists, analysts, lab directors and more – eager to learn about advancements in the field. Over the next 20 minutes, David unveiled a novel enzyme designed to tackle a challenge that has plagued DNA forensics for decades.

Known as “Reduced Stutter Polymerase,” the new enzyme virtually eliminates confounding stutter artifacts in forensic DNA analysis. When incorporated into STR analysis kits, it will dramatically simplify mixed sample deconvolution and help forensic analysts generate accurate profiles of multiple contributors. This technology is the result of years of collaboration between the Genetic Identity R&D Group and the Advanced Technology Group at Promega.

Here’s how they did it, and why it’s so important.

Continue reading “Novel Promega Enzyme Tackles Biggest Challenge in DNA Forensics”

Internships at Promega aren’t about getting coffee for your boss or shredding thousands of old papers. Promega interns take responsibility for complex projects that create notable impacts for their teams, our customers, or Promega as a whole.

Promega hosted 56 interns over the summer in 2024. These students came with unique skills in science, engineering, marketing, IT and so much more. We asked several of them to write about the work they did, as well as the results and benefits they created.

Continue reading “Promega Summer Interns Contribute Skills and Ideas from Logistics to R&D”

If she weren’t working at Promega, Evie Zadzilka probably would’ve spent the summer after high school graduation taking summer classes before reporting to her freshman year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She runs a small art business, and she might’ve spent more time taking commissions.

Instead, Evie spent the summer before college as an intern in Promega R&D, honing her pipetting skills as she learns about primer design and contributing to the development of a new Promega assay.

“I’ve had a great time,” she says. “I’ll definitely take a lot with me from this experience. I’m so glad I got to do it.”

Evie and her fellow intern Tess Clark were the two high school-aged interns placed at Promega through a relationship with a Madison-based nonprofit called Maydm. This organization helps girls and youth of color in grades 6-12 prepare for careers in STEM by providing educational opportunities and experiences. Through school and summer programs, they strive to disrupt systemic barriers by empowering students like Evie to pursue their dreams as entrepreneurs, developers, engineers and more.

“This will really boost my confidence when I get into lab work next year,” Evie says.

High School Internships at Promega

During their senior year of high school, Tess and Evie were both enrolled in dual-credit courses through Madison College. These classes made them eligible to apply for a high school internship through Maydm.

“I’ve been interested in research for a very long time,” says Tess, another recent school graduate preparing to enter the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “I’m going to major in physics next year, and I don’t have many ties to the biotechnology or chemistry I’ve worked with at Promega. But I wanted hands-on lab experience, so that’s how I ended up here.”

Continue reading “High School Interns Get Hands-On Experience in Promega R&D”

Earlier this summer, Promega Madison welcomed three rising researchers from Europe for an immersive experience on the company’s main campus. Alexandre Lalande (PhD student, International Center for Infectiology Research, France), Margaux Cochard (Post-Doc, University of the Littoral Opal Coast, France) and Emmanuel Heilman (Post-Doc, Medical University of Innsbruck) were selected as Young Researcher Award winners by Promega France and Promega Germany. Their prize trip to the United States included tours of Promega facilities, conversations with Promega leaders and research scientists and hands-on training with emerging technologies.

“It’s really interesting to see how Promega manages to find harmony between the science, the people and the business,” Alexandre says. “When you arrive here you immediately feel comfortable.”

Meeting Industry Scientists

Alexandre says that he has always imagined himself working in academia doing basic research, but he never totally ruled out opportunities in industry.

Continue reading “A Peek Behind the Scenes: Young Researchers Visit Promega Madison”

In March 2024, Promega celebrated a significant milestone by completing extensive renovations to Kepler Center, the primary distribution warehouse located at Promega Madison. This massive expansion has increased the facility’s total area to an astounding 320,000 square feet (29,822 square meters).

So, what does this mean for you?

When you place an order from Promega, you can be confident your products will arrive on time. With customers in more than 120 countries, we have built a global logistics network that ensures quality and reliability from the warehouse to your lab. This expansion of Kepler Center enhances our ability to ensure prompt shipping, reaffirming our commitment to timely deliveries.

Delivering Products When You Need Them

Promega Madison ships directly to 40 countries. We maintain close relationships with domestic carriers and international freight forwarders to make sure packages are transported safely and efficiently. Some of these shipments go directly to customer labs, while others will stock distribution facilities around the world.

Promega has additional logistics warehouses strategically located around the world. These warehouses have much of the same capabilities as Kepler Center, such as a range of storage temperature capabilities including ambient, +4°C, -20°C, -70°C and liquid nitrogen cryogenic storage.

Our logistics teams around the world maintain local inventory and oversee the final delivery of orders. We share common processes around the world to ensure quality and continuity throughout the supply chain. These teams also work with our network of distributors to supply products to specific regions.

Our largest logistics facility outside the United States is the EuroHub, located in Walldorf, Germany. This 3,200 square foot (300 square meter) facility acts as a fulfillment agent, managing the entire logistics process to supply customers of every European branch. In 2023, almost 83,000 parcels were dispatched through the EuroHub.

Continue reading “Logistics Built to Deliver: Kepler Center and Beyond”

Katelyn Geleynse presses the button and the machine groans to life. The massive metal plates shift until a half-ton of compressed plastic tumbles out onto the waiting pallet. The crowd cheers. Permanent markers are passed around and everyone takes turns signing the massive block.  

It’s February 16, 2024, and the members of the Promega Sustainability Committee are gathered to witness the first bale of plastic film being ejected from the Madison campus’s new baler. It’s only the first bale, but it represents a major step in the company’s efforts to reduce plastic waste.

“All of this would have gone to the landfill if we hadn’t set up this program,” Katelyn says. “It feels good to know that at least some of my waste is getting a second life.”

Plastic film is notoriously difficult to recycle and takes decades to break down in a landfill. The Promega initiative to divert this waste was started by a small group of employees who noticed a problem and worked for over a year to build a sustainable solution. What began as a small volunteer operation grew to spur capital investment in a process that will rescue around 35,000 pounds of plastic per year.

Continue reading “Employee-Led Program Reduces Landfill Waste by Rescuing Plastic Film”