Author: Promega

From Drug Screening to Agriculture to Cardiac Development, A Dual-Luciferase Reporter Brings You the Story

Posted on by Promega

Today’s blog was written by guest blogger Katarzyna Dubiel, marketing intern in Cellular Analysis and Proteomics. Last updated 02/12/2021

Reporter gene assays have been critical for the study of a wide-range of biological questions, from regulation of gene expression to cellular signaling. While reporter gene assays constitute a large group of technologies, here we highlight the diversity of new discoveries enabled by highly quantitative and easily measured bioluminescent luciferase-based reporter assays. Below are our top picks of exciting research discoveries involving the Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay format using firefly and Renilla luciferases.

Continue reading “From Drug Screening to Agriculture to Cardiac Development, A Dual-Luciferase Reporter Brings You the Story”

Kicking Off Summer with Some Cookout Favorites

Posted on by Promega

In the United States, the last Monday of May is Memorial Day, a national holiday in which we honor those who have given their lives in service to the country. For those of us living in Wisconsin, Memorial Day is also usually preceded by the first truly warm weekend of summer. So as families remember their loved ones, they gather together to create new memories in parks and backyards, around picnic tables or on grassy lawns–beginning the summer season with a cookout, picnics and bar-b-ques.

Here at Promega we love a good cookout too. So a few of us have cobbled together some of our favorite summer recipes to share with you. Do you have a favorite summer recipe? Share it in the comments below.  (Please note metric conversions are approximate and have not been tested.) Continue reading “Kicking Off Summer with Some Cookout Favorites”

Which DNA Do I Use? How to Choose Your Control and Other DNA Samples

Posted on by Promega

 

DNA double helix molecules and chromosomes.

Today’s Promega Connections blog is written by guest blogger Joliene Lindholm, Promega Technical Services Scientist.

In Promega Technical Services, we are frequently asked questions about choosing among our Human Genomic DNA products. Promega offers DNA that can serve as sources of normal human gene sequences or positive controls where genotype is not critical, and controls for use in genotyping applications like STR analysis. For mouse researchers, we also offer Mouse Genomic DNA. Continue reading “Which DNA Do I Use? How to Choose Your Control and Other DNA Samples”

National Optimism Month—Make it a Year

Posted on by Promega

People working togetherToday’s Promega Connections blog is written by guest blogger Tori Sheldon, North America Marketing and Events Coordinator.

It is crazy to think how quickly the months fly by. It feels like yesterday I was watching the ball drop as 2017 turned to 2018. Now it is almost March, when Wisconsin starts to emerge from the cold winter. March also happens to be National Optimism Month.

As I think about optimism, I am reminded of one of the core values that guide interpersonal relationships at Promega: “look for the good, with discernment”.  The spirit of this value is to remember that deep down everyone is trying to come from a positive place and that even though we may not always agree with each other it is an opportunity for further discussion and collaboration.

This value is a part of the Emotional & Social Intelligence (ESI) program at Promega. Continue reading “National Optimism Month—Make it a Year”

Adventure in Belize

Posted on by Promega

Today’s blog post is written by guest blogger, Josh Agate, Manager, Global CRM.

Picture from airplane approaching Ambergis Caye
Approaching Ambergis Caye.

Adventure is relative. Most people are looking for new adventures in life, and those can range from planning where to go on vacation to starting a new job. What each person looks for in an adventure and the level of thrill they seek is different. When I learned that Promega had awarded me a trip to a destination of my choice with my family for my job performance, I was excited to plan this new adventure with my wife and two daughters (ages 4 and 6). We decided on a trip to Belize.

The trip required two commercial flights, followed by a puddle jumper flight (with hand-written boarding passes), and a 30 minute boat ride before we arrived at our hotel on the island of Ambergris Caye.  This island, off the northern coast of Belize, would provide the backdrop for our family’s greatest adventure to date. The trip to get to the island wasn’t tedious travel for them; it was a wild ride that included a plane that held 12 people, flying over crystal clear waters and a boat trip, where our hair flew wildly as we were sprayed with ocean mist. Continue reading “Adventure in Belize”

Promega Travel Award Blog: An Excursion to Croatia

Posted on by Promega

Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic
Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic

We invite you to travel with Bettina Bazzini-Lapin, Scientific Client Specialist, who was awarded a Promega Travel Award for sales performance and used her award to travel to Croatia and Italy. In this blog, she describes her travels.

Croatia is an Eastern European country that sits on the Adriatic Sea directly across from Italy. It has more than one thousand islands, and a third of the country is covered by forest. It is known for its beautiful Dalmatian coast line. One of the main sites for travelers to visit is the coastal city of Dubrovnik, known as the Pearl of the Adriatic. This is where my adventure began. Continue reading “Promega Travel Award Blog: An Excursion to Croatia”

Honoring Caregivers

Posted on by Promega

This blog post is contributed by guest blogger Diana Clark, Benefits Manager, Promega Corporation

November is National Family Caregivers Month, first proclaimed by President Clinton in 1997, the proclamation has been renewed by every U.S. President since. When President Obama proclaimed this designation in 2012, he commented, “The unselfish devotion of family caregivers affirms the importance of respecting the dignity of life in all stages and underscores the importance of the family unit.”

Hearing these words, I felt even prouder to be a part of the Promega family. You see, we are already in the process of rolling out Caregiver Leave for 2018. Caregiver Leave will provide Promega employees with an additional three weeks of paid time off annually to care for a sick parent, spouse or child, or to welcome a new child into their family via birth, adoption or foster placement. Continue reading “Honoring Caregivers”

One Year Later: Living Organ Donor & Recipient Share Their Story

Posted on by Promega

Jim and John one year later.
John Van Herwynen, Promega Senior Production Scientist, and Jim Stevens, Product Finishing Project Coordinator, on the Promega Madison campus one year after John donated one of his kidneys to Jim.

This article was jointly written by science writer, Nicole Sandler, and Corporate Affairs Communication Specialist, Karen Burkhartzmeyer.

One year ago, on September 14, 2016, two people once connected only through the common denominator of their workplace began sharing a bond that very few people ever experience. That was the day that Jim Stevens, Product Finishing Project Coordinator at Promega Madison, received a kidney from living donor John Van Herwynen, a Promega Senior Production Scientist. The last year, full of emotional successes but also some challenging setbacks, is one that has transformed both of their lives. Organ donor and organ recipient are marking today’s important milestone by sharing their remarkable story. Continue reading “One Year Later: Living Organ Donor & Recipient Share Their Story”

Promega Third Party Forensic-Grade Certification

Posted on by Promega

Promega has become the first major forensic manufacturer to achieve third party certification of the published ISO 18385 standard to minimize the risk of human DNA contamination in products used to collect, store and analyze biological material for forensic purposes.

On February 2, 2016, ISO 18385:2016 was published as the first international standard specific to the forensic manufacturing community. Since the standard was published, companies have begun to self-declare that they comply with the ISO standard. Some companies have gone a step further and reached out to Certification Bodies to provide an unbiased and independent assessment their compliance to ISO18385 through a third-party audit.

When consumers see an ‘ISO 18385 Forensic Grade’ labeled product, it should inspire confidence that the product was produced in accordance with a minimum set of criteria common to all manufacturers.

So what are you actually getting in a Forensic Grade labeled product? Continue reading “Promega Third Party Forensic-Grade Certification”