art and science

Genetic Symphonies: Building Hox of Life 

Posted on by Riley Bell

Like the recipe book for life, every living creature has DNA. DNA contains genes, which contain instructions for making proteins. There are many types of important proteins that impact the way our body functions. Transcription factors (TFs) are a special protein that controls what other proteins are made by directly interacting with DNA to turn genes “on” or “off.” 

The newest art installation at our Biopharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTCI) brings this concept to life. “Genetic Symphonies: Building Hox of Life” uses a human skeleton to showcase how TFs turns on Hox genes by flipping the switches in the correct order. Hox proteins are a special TF that function during growth and development—and all mammals have them. There are 13 groups of Hox TFs (Hox1-Hox13) and unlike other proteins, Hox TFs must be made in a certain order for proper development to occur, starting with Hox1 and ending with Hox13. 

In this interactive exhibit, the user is a TF and must turn on Hox genes by flipping the switches in the correct order on a control podium. Every switch (Hox gene) you flip will be accompanied by light and sound (Hox proteins), representing the production of Hox TF proteins. If you successfully turn on all 13 light switches in the correct order, then the entire skeleton will be lit up, orchestrating your own developmental symphony. 

Continue reading “Genetic Symphonies: Building Hox of Life “

The Central Dogma of Promega: The Story and Science Behind Our Kit Packaging Design

Posted on by Jordan Nutting

An amazing transformation is taking place, unseen and unnoticed, within the microscopic bits that make you, you.

A tightly coiled lattice unspools to reveal a sinuous DNA stand. Along its length, tendrils of RNA sprout, growing bit by genetic bit. Eventually, the signal to stop and break away arrives, yielding a new strand of RNA that faithfully transcribes the DNA strand’s genetic code. Proteins trim and splice this new growth, pruning it so it takes its final form, messenger RNA. More proteins then ferry this mRNA strand through a pore in the nuclear envelope into the open space of the cell’s cytoplasm. Ribosomes and codon-carrying tRNA alight onto the released mRNA strand, reading the instructions it has carried from the DNA in the nuclear nursery. From this trio new forms emerge, bulbous proteins shaped by their destined purpose.

And so it goes, every second of every day, in the tens of trillions of cells in your body…

…And on the tens of thousands of kit packages we deliver to customers across the globe every year.

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Blending Art and Science in a Costa Rica Physics Lab

Posted on by Promega
Sophia Speece engaged her passions for art and science during her internship in Costa Rica.
UW-Madison student Sophia Speece (left) spent the summer in Costa Rica for the “Artist in the Science Lab” internship hosted by alum Dr. Mariela Porras Chaverri (right)

My name is Sophia Speece. I am a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Biomedical Engineering and Music Performance. As you can imagine, there is not a lot of overlap between these two passions of mine.

This past summer I was given the unique opportunity to combine these two areas. I applied and was accepted for the “Artist in the Science Lab” internship abroad in Costa Rica!

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Creativity In Action: The Promega Employee Art Show

Posted on by Jordan Villanueva

Behind the reception desk at the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center hangs a self-portrait of an R&D scientist made of torn paper. A painting by an IT specialist adorns a wall outside the auditorium. Near the windows, the daughter of a manager in Operations Engineering has created a diorama depicting the coronation of Princess Bryn Bryn who is, in fact, a puppy.

The Promega Employee Art Show is an annual exhibition that invites Promega employees and their family members to submit artwork to be displayed in the Promega Art Showcase. The 2023 showcase features more than 150 pieces of art submitted by employees in 3 countries.

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Urs Albrecht Winning Photographer of the Promega AG Art + Science Competition

Posted on by Nana Diarra dit Konté

The Albrecht Group in the Department of Biology at the University of Fribourg, investigates circadian rhythms in biological systems. Recently Urs Albrecht submitted a photo of baby squid for the Swiss Art + Science Competition sponsored by Promega AG. We have covered squid communication in a separate blog. Here we talk to him about the photo and the inspiration behind it.

How did you become interested in squids as an experimental model?

headshot of Dr. Urs Albrecht
Dr. Urs Albrecht

My lab works mainly with mice. Other professors work with different organisms such as Drosophila, C. elegans, plants, and yeast at our university. One of them, Simon Sprecher, became interested in marine biology and started a course for students. I immediately thought that’s a great idea because it is something different, and few actually look deeply into the biology of marine organisms. The literature on squids is scarce and old, and they are challenging to keep in lab conditions. Yet, my colleague ordered Loligo vulgaris eggs from Villefranche Sur Mer in France and started establishing them to hatch and grow in Fribourg. He was successful. The next step was setting up experimentation. However, squids have brains, and to carry out experiments with them, we needed to apply for authorization from the Swiss Government. I helped out, but it was challenging because there were no standards and regulations, as nobody works on these animals in Switzerland. Now we are interested in studying the communication between squids. It is easy to observe how they change color, because they are transparent. The change in color is related to their stress level and mood.

What went into taking the image “One Out”?

I’ve been a hobby photographer since I am ten years old. So when I went to my colleague’s lab and looked at the baby squids, I said, “Ohh, they are beautiful.” They looked really stunning, and some of them started changing colors in front of me. I thought that was a fascinating behavior, and I wanted to capture that.

One Out by Urhs Albrect Baby Squid communicating with color

Baby squids are transparent and colorful. I had to think about how I could best picture them. I decided to have them in a Petri dish and put them on a stand with lighting coming from below on a black background. I made several images. On one of them, there was this situation where one of the squids was changing color. It was very different from all the others. It immediately came to my mind that something was happening. They were communicating.

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A Vibrant Welcome Back to the Promega Art Showcase

Posted on by Jordan Villanueva

After a long hiatus sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Promega Art Showcase will return next week with a new exhibition titled “A Vibrant Welcome Back!”

Promega Art Showcase

Why is a biotechnology company hosting an art show?

At its core, science is rooted in creativity. Scientists investigate the unknown and search for novel solutions that can improve our quality of life. We believe that observing and creating art reenergizes the imagination, inspiring scientists to look from new perspectives and step outside of the norms.

Promega has hosted quarterly art showcases in the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center since 1996. These showcases are open to the public and have featured the work of local, national and international artists. Past shows have included sculptors, folk artists, photographers, and painters. The December-March show each year features artwork by Promega employees and their family members.

The 2022 Summer Art Showcase features the work of Derrick Buisch, a painter and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, alongside Bettina Madini, a European contemporary artist and fashion designer.

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Celebrating STEM/STEAM Day with UW-Madison’s Cool Science Image Contest

Posted on by Riley Bell

November 8th is National STEM/STEAM Day. For 11 years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Cool Science Image Contest has celebrated and embraced the art of science. The contest illuminates art in the STEM/STEAM field as students, faculty, and staff submit images and videos that capture science or nature and leave a lasting impression of beauty or wonder. 

This year’s 2021 submissions were created with point-and-shoot digital cameras, cutting-edge microscopes, and both backyard and mountaintop telescopes. Contestants captured the art of science from the massive to the minute. Winning entries showcased animals and plants, the invisibly small structures all around us, and stars and nebulae resting lightyears away from Earth.

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The Where, The Why and The How: A science writer and a graphic designer have a conversation

Posted on by Michele Arduengo

0the-where-the-why-and-the-how-75-artists-illustrate-wondrous-mysteries-of-scienceWhen I first learned that I had won a copy of The Where, The Why and The How in the book lottery at ScienceOnline 2013, I couldn’t believe my luck. I never win anything, at least not anything that I actually want. And I wanted a copy of this book.

The book is beautiful to hold. The linen binding is beautiful, reminiscent of bygone days when book binding was a practiced art. The paper is thick and smooth, a tactile pleasure as you turn each page; the pages themselves sound substantial as you flip through the book. Even the smell of the book is delightful—bringing to mind the stacks of old books filling a great library, even though what you hold in your hand is a new work. The science paisley inside covers of the book are a delight to look at, comprising various science icons intricately woven into an astounding tapestry.

I was expectant when I opened the book for the first chance for a serious read. Continue reading “The Where, The Why and The How: A science writer and a graphic designer have a conversation”

Knitting Needles, Balls of Yarn and the First Molecular Model

Posted on by Michele Arduengo
ball-and-stick model of a molecule

One day while reading a knitting blog I discovered in 1883 a Scottish chemist created the first “ball-and-stick” model of a molecule using knitting needles and balls of yarn. This initial ball-and-stick molecule represents the structure of sodium chloride and is constructed of knitting needles, representing the bonds, and alternating balls of blue and red yarn, representing the atoms of sodium and chloride. It was displayed as part of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 activities.

The chemist who created this model was Alexander Crum Brown, distinguished chemistry and professor at the University of Edinburgh, and one of his particular interests was the arrangements of atoms in molecules and the depiction of these structures. Those of us who spent countless hours poring our organic chemistry books and molecular model sets trying to understand nucleophilic attacks and SN1 and SN2 reactions have Alexander Crum Brown to thank. Those students who now use computer 3D modeling programs to accomplish the same studies (without the delight of chasing down the last nitrogen atom that has rolled off the desk and under the dresser) are also indebted to Dr. Brown.

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