High School Interns Get Hands-On Experience in Promega R&D

Posted on by Jordan Villanueva
High school interns Tessara Clark and Evelyn Zadzilka work in the lab during their Maydm internships in Promega R&D
Tess (left) and Evie (right) spent the summer after high school graduation interning in Promega 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

Tessara Clark and Evelyn Zadzilka work in the lab during their Maydm high school internships in Promega R&D
Tess and Evie were placed in Promega internships through the non-profit organization Maydm.

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.”

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What Do You Get from a DOORS Scholarship?

Posted on by Jordan Villanueva
D.O.O.R.S. Scholars Day 2024
Eight D.O.O.R.S. Scholars visiting Kornberg Center at Promega Madison in April 2024

The BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTC Institute) is collaborating with Promega to provide D.O.O.R.S. Scholarships to 10 students from underrepresented backgrounds. The scholarship has been awarded annually since 2020.

Each student will receive a $5,000 scholarship. But what else can you expect from a D.O.O.R.S. Scholarship?

In April 2024, eight D.O.O.R.S. Scholars visited Promega Madison for D.O.O.R.S. Scholars Day. At the end of the day, they shared their thoughts on the benefits they gained from the program.

Mentorship

D.O.O.R.S. Scholars Lucas Lisondo and Julia Forsey working in the lab on D.O.O.R.S. Scholars Day 2024
Julia Forsey and Lucas Lisondo work in the lab during their visit to Promega Madison

Each D.O.O.R.S. Scholar is assigned a Promega scientist as a mentor. Throughout the school year, they participate in individual and group mentorship sessions that include constructive feedback on their research and professional development.      

My mentor, Sid Withers, was super influential to me. He walked me through differences in what it means to get a PhD or a Masters. We talked about different stigma and mental health issues surrounding science and academia. And overall, I really appreciated his insight into careers in the biotech industry.

Julia Forsey, McGill University
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Taking the Plunge: How the Seine Became Olympic-Ready

Posted on by Shannon Sindermann

What would the Olympics be without a little controversy? From spy drones to air conditioning battles and debates over the bronze medal in women’s floor exercises, the 2024 Games had their fair share. Yet, amidst all the drama, one story stood out—the transformation of the Seine River. After being off-limits to swimmers since 1923, the Seine made a historic comeback this summer, hosting Olympic swimming events for the first time in modern history, including a 10K marathon, the aquatic portion of the triathlon and a Paralympic swimming event (4). With nearly 1 billion people watching, the Seine needed to be more than just swimmable – it had to be media-ready, as even a small misstep could have tarnished the river’s new image. 

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Understanding Persistent Digestive Disorders With Multiplex PCR

Posted on by Johanna Lee

Digestive disorders are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with diarrhea being particularly deadly. Despite declining mortality rates, diarrhea still causes an estimated 1.65 million deaths annually, with the highest burden in low- and middle-income countries, largely due to poor sanitation and lack of clean water. While acute diarrhea has been extensively studied, less is known about the pathogens responsible for long-lasting digestive issues, including diarrhea and abdominal pain that persist for 14 days or more. A recent study in Scientific Reports offers valuable insights into the prevalence of these pathogens and highlights the importance of advanced molecular diagnostics in addressing this issue.

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How Artificial Intelligence Revolutionized the 2024 Paris Olympics

Posted on by Anna Bennett

At the end of July, many people across the globe were preparing to tune into the two-week, 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. The Olympics were slated to feature several high-profile athletes—including Simone Biles (USA, artistic gymnastics), Eluid Kipchoge (Kenya, marathon) and Marta Vieira da Silva (Brazil, football). However, in the lead-up to the Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) focused on a secondary player: Artificial Intelligence (AI). The IOC laid out an ambitious AI agenda aimed to enhance athlete performance, ensure fairness and optimize operations. The 2024 Paris Olympics represent a significant leap forward in integrating AI into the world of sports.

“Together, we can unlock AI’s full potential to promote solidarity, further digitalization, improve sustainability and resilience, and reinforce the role of sport in society.” – Olympic AI Agenda

Here, we explore several applications of AI in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Ancient Retroviruses and Modern Cancer: Role of Endogenous Retroviruses in Transcriptional Changes in Tumor Cells 

Posted on by Michele Arduengo

Approximately 30 million years ago, a retrovirus integrated into the germline of a common ancestor of baboons, gorillas, chimpanzees and humans. That endogenous retrovirus, now known as gammaretrovirus human endogenous retrovirus 1 (HERV-1), may provide clues about the aberrant regulation of gene transcription that enables tumor cells to grow and survive.  

Understanding the Mechanism Behind Cancer Gene Expression 

Scientists have long described the striking differences in gene expression, signaling activity and metabolism between cancer cells and normal cells, but the underlying mechanisms that cause these differences are not fully understood. In a recent Science Advances article, published by Ivancevic et al., researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder; the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and the University of Colorado School of Medicine report their efforts to identify endogenous retrovirus elements that might be part of the answer to the complex question of what biological events are responsible for the changes in gene expression in cancer cells.  

The researchers hypothesized that transposable elements (TEs), specifically those associated with endogenous retroviruses could be involved in cancer-specific gene regulation.  Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are the remnants of ancient retroviral infections that have integrated into the germline of the host. 

The transposable element LTR10, derived from an endogenous retrovirus, can alter gene expression in a number of cancers. Artist's conception of an invasive cancer cell.

Identifying Endogenous Retrovirus Elements That Affect Cancer Gene Expression 

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A Peek Behind the Scenes: Young Researchers Visit Promega Madison

Posted on by Jordan Villanueva
Young Researcher Award recipients 2024
Young Researcher Award winners Alexandre Lalande, Margaux Cochard and Emmanuel Heilman (L to R) visited Promega Madison in June 2024.

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.

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The Marvel of Malate: A Crucial Component in Cellular Energy Metabolism

Posted on by Simon Moe

Today’s blog written by guest author Kim Haupt.

Cellular energy metabolism is a complex biological process that relies on a suite of metabolites, each with distinct roles to maintain. Malate is one of these metabolites and is essential for maintaining cellular function through important roles in both energy production and redox homeostasis. In this blog, we highlight malate’s diverse roles and uncover some of its connections to human disease. 

Illustration of energy metablism in cell.
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Streamlining Plant Pathogen Detection: Valto Biocontrol’s Integration of Promega High-Throughput Nucleic Acid Extraction Platform

Posted on by Lindsey Drake

This review summarizes Valto Biocontrol’s move toward a high-throughput (HT) nucleic acid extraction solution utilizing Promega Maxwell® HT simplyRNA Kit, Custom. This project was initiated by Dr. Menno Westerdijk, Head of Laboratories at Valto Biocontrol, who established a molecular laboratory onsite. The Promega Field Support Scientist team assisted Dr. Westerdijk to develop an automated nucleic acid solution using their existing KingFisher™ Flex robot. Dr. Westerdijk’s extensive experience working with KingFisher robots in the agricultural sector combined with expert guidance from Promega Field Support enabled a seamless implementation of the Maxwell® HT chemistry for his laboratory.

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How Promega Supports Sustainable Science

Posted on by Simon Moe

What is ACT and why does it matter?

The ACT label stands for Accountability, Consistency and Transparency. The ACT label provides information on the environmental impact of life science products to help researchers make informed choices about the products they use in their labs. ACT was developed by the non-profit organization My Green Lab, in collaboration with the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL).

The ACT label is one of the most comprehensive product labels for the life sciences. It measures the environmental impact of a product across four categories: manufacturing, user impact, end of life, and innovation. The criterion was developed with input from industry leaders, scientists, manufacturers, and sustainability directors. Most categories are scored on a scale from 1 to 10; 10 being the highest score. Other values are assigned a yes/no value or in some instances, a specific value per day (ex. kWh/day). The Environmental Impact Factor (EIF) is the summation of these categories. The varying energy usage and distinct reports across global markets has resulted in separate awards for different world regions. By choosing products with the ACT label, researchers can align their purchasing behaviors with any goals of reducing their environmental footprint and support sustainable practices in the life science industry.

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