Built for What’s Next: Promega Expands Lyophilization to Meet Tomorrow’s Demands

The new lyophilization equipment will more than double the lyophilization capacity of Promega Madison.

On March 12, 2025, a 46,000-pound stainless-steel chamber made a five-hour journey through Feynman Center to its final resting place in the brand-new Fill-Lyophilize-Finish suite. This massive piece of equipment will more than double the lyophilization capacity at Promega Madison, safeguarding the continuity of production and opening new frontiers in product formulation.

Lyophilization provides scientists with increased stability, enhanced flexibility and protection against error. Promega has been lyophilizing reagents in-house since the mid-1990s, and demand has steadily grown over time. The recent expansion reflects the company’s commitment to anticipating scientists’ future needs and planning for the long term.

Why is Lyophilization Important?

Lyophilization, also known as freeze-drying, provides a variety of benefits in the lab. For example, lyophilized reagents can typically be stored at higher temperatures, and they offer longer stability.

Stuart Forsyth inspects the lyophilization chamber during its installation.

“Lyophilized product also gives you added flexibility in how you tailor your reagents to your specific need,” says Stuart Forsyth, Sr Process Validation Engineer at Promega. “Whether you’re reconstituting with a buffer, water or even a sample, you’re able to alter the assay’s concentration and formulation in ways that are impossible with liquid formulations.”

Many of the most popular Promega products include lyophilized components, including the CellTiter-Glo® Luminescent Cell Viability Assay and ONE-Glo™ Luciferase Assay System.

Promega also offers lyophilization for customers working with Promega to manufacture custom products. The flexibility helps many labs, especially diagnostics, ensure that the final reagent maximizes efficiency and ease of use for point-of-care applications.

“Especially if you’re lyophilizing the whole assay in one, you’re removing a lot of potential for mistakes by the user that would result in product failure,” says Terri McDonnell, Director of Global Custom & OEM Commercial Development. “Lyophilization capabilities are powerful tools to have in your toolbox as you try to formulate a reagent for minimal risk of misuse or mistakes.”

Expanding Lyophilization at Promega Madison

The new lyophilizer will primarily be used with 10ml vials and 100ml bottles, but it can process numerous other formats.

Promega Operations closely monitors the throughput capacity of all critical processes. For years, the team has projected that manufacturing would outgrow the existing lyophilization capacity sometime in the mid-2020s. The project to build out the empty suite in Feynman Manufacturing Center began in 2021, and it will start producing products for sale in early 2026.

The new lyophilizer nearly doubles the throughput capacity of Promega Madison. It will primarily be used with 10ml vials and 100ml bottles, but the line can also handle 2ml and 3ml vials and large LyoGuard trays for bulk powder production. At this point, the team plans to primarily use the Feynman suite for high-demand catalog products like CellTiter-Glo, creating flexibility to use the older lines for custom products and other smaller demands.

Continuity, Collaboration and Creativity

The new lyophilization suite will have several significant impacts for scientists using Promega reagents.

First, the new lyophilization line creates additional redundancy to ensure that key products are continuously available. The huge increase in capacity means that if one lyophilizer is down for maintenance, the others can handle picking up the slack. The new suite also features the current state-of-the-art automation technology, minimizing any risks for contamination or human error that would disrupt high-quality production.

The lyophilizer is unloaded by crane outside Feynman Manufacturing Center.

For customers working with Promega on custom orders, the new lyophilizer gives Promega more flexibility to collaborate with customers on finding the right formulation for their needs, all within the established quality system.

“We partner with a wide range of customers seeking to adapt or customize our technologies for specific applications,” says Terri McDonnell. “As the primary manufacturer of most of our products, and with the addition of new lyophilization capabilities, we can offer expanded scale and format options. Because these activities are performed in-house, we maintain greater control over quality and supply chain logistics, helping to ensure the consistent and reliable delivery of products.”

Finally, the additional capacity means that high-volume products can be manufactured less frequently by scaling up batch sizes. This frees up human resources to explore process improvements and dedicate more time to work outside of the production workflow. Kris Pearson, Director of Manufacturing Sciences and Custom operations, says the smaller equipment can serve as a sandbox where teams can test creative ideas.

“We’ll have more opportunity to work with R&D on new product development, and to dive deep into new cycles and what that can mean for our custom capabilities,” she says. “We can play around with new formats and processes to find new ways of offering a great product for every custom customer.”

Long-Term Planning and Strategy

As a private company, Promega isn’t beholden to short-term gains. Leadership prioritizes decisions that support future needs, while building in room to adapt to changes in the scientific landscape.

The architectural drawings of Feynman Manufacturing Center show the suite earmarked for lyophilization as early as 2012, before the building was constructed.

“When we started designing Feynman Manufacturing Center, we said we wanted 30% of the square footage to be frontier space,” says Jen Romanin VP of Global Support and IVD Operations, and key member of the Global Planning Team. “This space would give us future flexibility in where new features would be installed.”

Sometimes needs are forecasted far in advance – for example, the architectural drawings of Feynman Manufacturing Center dated February 2012 show the new suite was already earmarked for Lyophilization almost a decade before the construction project began. Other spaces are left intentionally unlabeled as a nod to the unknown needs that will emerge over time. Whatever arises, the flexibility and foresight built into Promega facilities will position the team to respond quickly – and build a high-quality solution – without having to break new ground.

“I think this says two things about us,” says Chuck York, Vice President of Operations at Promega. “First, it says we’re pretty confident we’re going to be here for a long time. Secondly, it says that no matter what happens between now and then, we want to make sure we’re prepared.”


Immune Surveillance Meets Innovation: The Critical Need for dsRNA Detection

Today’s blog is written by guest blogger, Kai Hillman, Associate Product Marketing Manager at Promega.

RNA therapeutics have revolutionized modern medicine, offering groundbreaking solutions for diseases that were once deemed untreatable. These innovative treatments harness the power of RNA molecules to correct genetic anomalies and modulate protein expression, paving the way for personalized medicine. Among the many facets of RNA biology, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) plays a pivotal role in cellular processes and immune surveillance.

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Measles and Immunosuppression—When Getting Well Means You Can Still Get Sick

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In 2000 measles was officially declared eliminated in the United States (1), meaning there had been no disease transmission for over 12 months. Unfortunately, recent years have shown us it was not gone for good. So far in 2025 there have been 6 outbreaks and 607 cases. Five hundred and sixty-seven of these cases (93%) are associated with an outbreak; seventy-four (12%) cases have resulted in hospitalization, and there has been one confirmed death, with another death under investigation (as of April 3, 2025; 2).  For comparison, there were two hundred and eighty-five total cases in 2024; one hundred and ninety-eight (69%) were associated with outbreaks; one hundred and fourteen (40%) cases resulted in hospitalization. There were no deaths (2).  

Help in Limiting a Dangerous Childhood Disease

Before the development of a vaccine in the 1960s, measles was practically a childhood rite of passage. This common childhood disease is not without teeth however. One out of every 20 children with measles develops pneumonia, 1 out of every 1,000 develops encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and 1 to 3 of every 1,000 dies from respiratory and neurological complications (3). In the years before a vaccine was available, it is estimated that there were between 3.5 and 5 million measles cases per year. (4). The first measles vaccine was licensed in the U.S. by John Enders in 1963, and not surprisingly, after the measles vaccine became widely used, the number of cases of measles plummeted. By 1970, there were under 1,000 cases (2).

Decreased Childhood Mortality from Other Infectious Diseases—An Unexpected Benefit

Surprisingly, with the disappearance of this childhood disease the number of childhood deaths from all infectious diseases dropped dramatically. As vaccination programs were instituted in England and parts of Europe, the same phenomenon was observed. Reduction or elimination of measles-related illness and death alone can’t explain the size of the decrease in childhood mortality. Although measles infection is associated with suppression of the immune system that will make the host vulnerable to other infections, these side effects were assumed to be short lived. In reality, the drop in mortality from infectious diseases following vaccination for measles lasted for years, not months (5).

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IC50, EC50 and Kd: What is the Difference and Why Do They matter?

A modern computer monitor displays a data analytics graph with an upward-trending line in orange and red. The screen has a dark theme with a grid overlay and numerical values. The monitor is set on a desk with a keyboard and mouse, illuminated by warm ambient lighting in the background, creating a professional, high-tech atmosphere.

Three of the most common metrics in drug discover are Kd, IC50 and EC50. At first glance it can seem that they measure the same thing, but they don’t. Kd measures how tightly a molecule or compound binds to its target. IC50 measures inhibition of a function and conversely, EC50 measures activation or induction of a response. Confusing these values can lead to misinterpretation of assay results and costly rework. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

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Tackling Undrugged Proteins with the Promega Academic Access Program

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.

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Strengthening Water Safety Measures with Advanced Detection

Detecting Legionella in water systems is a critical step in preventing outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease. However, not all detection methods are created equal. One of the biggest challenges in water testing is differentiating between viable and non-viable cells. This distinction is essential for making informed decisions about water system safety and compliance, especially in high-stakes environments like hospitals, office buildings and public spaces.

In a previous blog, we explored the history and significance of Legionella testing, from its discovery during the 1976 outbreak to the risks posed by modern water systems. We also highlighted the limitations of traditional culture-based detection and the need for advanced tools to improve accuracy and speed. In this second blog, we will dive deeper into the challenges of Legionella detection, the science behind qPCR technology and how an innovative approach to qPCR addresses these challenges. Finally, we will demonstrate how this technology fits into established workflows to deliver reliable, actionable results for water safety. 

Common water testing icons are shown with blue circles, including a water faucet, water testing imagery, water droplets, water droplets with a magnifying glass, and a water droplet on a clipboard.
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Figure Methodology: The Balance Between Accuracy and Aesthetics

Concept image of the balance between scientific accuracy and aesthetics.
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In the ever-changing landscape of life sciences, the relationship between science and design remains essential. For example, have you ever read a blog or article overloaded with excessive terminology? Or an advertisement with complex information or graphics? This can be overwhelming and may cause you to miss the key message. Similarly, when an image is overly designed, it risks missing the mark entirely.

Enter the scientific figures. Whether the data is conveyed through complex graphs or scientific illustrations, design plays a vital role in providing clarity to the story. With that in mind, here are a few tips I’ve learned as a designer working with scientists in the life science and healthcare fields that can help you collaborate more effectively:

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Understanding Stress Resilience in Tomatoes: Insights Into the Role of PP2C Genes

An illustration of a tomato plant divided between normal and drought conditions. This study looks at the role of PP2C in stress response.

As climate change accelerates, understanding how crops survive environmental stress isn’t just an academic question—it’s a critical challenge for global food security. Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), a staple crop worldwide, face increasing threats from drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. But how do these plants adapt at the molecular level?

A recent study published in Scientific Reports ​investigated the evolutionary history, genomic diversity, and functional roles of protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) genes in tomatoes (1). Instead of merely cataloging these genes, the researchers analyzed how PP2C gene expression changes under environmental stress. This information could help inform us about crop improvement strategies.

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Celebrating Creativity and Innovation: The 2025 Promega Employee Art Showcase

At Promega, we believe that creativity drives innovation, challenges conventional thinking, and amplifies our ability to solve complex problems. Our annual Employee Art Showcase, a tradition since 1998, serves as a perfect expression of this belief. This event highlights the incredible creative talents of our employees and their families, offering a space to explore art in all its forms.

This year’s event was nothing short of inspiring, with 130 pieces of art submitted by employees and their families, beautifully displayed at the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center on the Promega Madison campus. The opening reception, held on January 16, featured a lively atmosphere with music performed by the Promega band, Major Groove, and a cozy hot cocoa bar—setting the perfect stage for appreciating the diverse artwork on display.

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From PhD to Communications in Four Phases: A Practical Guide to Uncover your Career Skills

Remember learning to swim and realizing you could float without trying? While floating alone did not make you fit for the Olympics, it did mean you were ready to start learning the moves without sinking. As a PhD student or recent graduate exploring a career away from research, you might feel similarly unprepared, but without realizing it, you have been building the skills you need right from the start.

Phase 1: Exploration

In every PhD comes a time where you must decide between following the academic route, switching to research in industry, or leaving the bench behind altogether. Facing this decision, you might find yourself facing more questions than answers or even start to doubt your choice of degree. If this is the case, let me reassure you, you are not alone.

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