Author: Promega

Overcoming qPCR Inhibitors: Strategies for Reliable Quantification 

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Today’s blog is written by guest blogger, Gabriela Saldanha, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Promega.

Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is an indispensable tool for nucleic acid analysis, widely used in research, clinical diagnostics and applied sciences. Its sensitivity and specificity make it a powerful method for detecting and quantifying DNA and RNA targets. However, qPCR reactions are highly susceptible to inhibitors—substances that interfere with enzyme activity, primer binding, or fluorescent signal detection. These inhibitors can originate from biological samples, environmental contaminants, or laboratory reagents, potentially leading to inaccurate quantification, poor amplification efficiency, or complete reaction failure.

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Celebrating Creativity and Innovation: The 2025 Promega Employee Art Showcase

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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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Soft Skills for the Science Lab: Develop Yourself with Promega

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Soft-skills such as presentation skills, time management and project management are essential for success in the science lab.

Preparing samples, conducting test series with cell cultures, or writing laboratory reports. Laboratory tasks cover a broad range of activities. Technical assistants support researchers in performing and evaluating experiments or carrying out laboratory tests in the medical field. A lab without them? Hard to imagine. However, it is not just scientific and technical understanding that is important. “Certain soft skills are necessary to be successful in your job. This also applies to the scientific field,” says Anette Leue, Head of Digital Marketing & Communications at Promega GmbH. “The focus is often on technical skills, while personal development is neglected. This inspired us to come up with our ‘Develop Yourself with Promega’ program.”

What is Develop Yourself with Promega?

“Develop Yourself with Promega” is a training series for laboratory personnel, focusing on personal development. It covers topics such as “How do I present my results in an interesting and structured way?” or “What do I need to make my lab more sustainable?” The aim is to expand professional competencies through soft-skill training. “At the beginning, we conducted a survey with our partner, the Life Science Learning Lab (in German Glaesernes Labor) in Berlin, among technical assistants to find out which topics are important to them,” Leue continues. These insights became the starting point for the first four trainings:

  • Green your lab: How can my lab become more sustainable?
  • Presentation training: A few steps to a good presentation
  • Project management in everyday lab work
  • Time management for technical assistants
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The Role of Bioassays in Testing New Therapeutics for Canine Cancer

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Immunoassays are bringing new hope to the treatment of canine cancer.

Every dog owner fears the day they might hear the word “cancer” from their vet. This devastating disease affects not only humans but our canine companions as well. Veterinary scientists and clinicians are now employing the same methods as researchers studying human cancer, bringing the tools of personalized cancer treatment and drug research and development to bear on canine cancer, and in the not-too-distant future the treatment for a dog’s cancer may become as personalized as the bond they share with their owner.

Developing and testing new drugs and therapies is crucial to improving cancer treatments for canines. One of the most powerful tools in the drug development toolbox is the bioassay. Bioassays enable scientists to measure the biological activity of a potential treatment compound to determine if it might be effective as a therapeutic agent. For researchers focused on advancing canine cancer therapies, bioassays are indispensable. They offer precise insights into how new drugs interact with cancer cells and the immune system.

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Understanding the Promise of Immunotherapy in Veterinary Medicine

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Immunotherapy in veterinary medicine is a rapidly evolving field that leverages the immune system to fight diseases. These therapies are particularly effective in treating various cancers, including lymphomas, mast cell tumors, melanomas, and osteosarcomas. Beyond cancer, immunotherapies are also being explored for their potential in managing chronic inflammatory diseases, such as autoimmune disorders where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. While traditionally, veterinary treatments have focused on surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, the advent of immunotherapy offers a more targeted approach, particularly for conditions like cancer.  

This targeted approach not only minimizes collateral damage to healthy tissues but also offers the potential for longer-lasting protection by training the immune system to recognize and fight off recurrence of the disease. The interest in immunotherapies has grown in tandem with advancements in human oncology, leading to a crossover of technologies and methodologies into veterinary applications. 

How Does Immunotherapy Work?

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Our Maxwell® Travels from Spain to Antarctica to Help Stop the Avian Flu Virus

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In January 2024, Antonio Alcamí and Ángela Vázquez, virologists from the Severo Ochoa Centre for Molecular Biology, landed in Antarctica to study the avian flu virus. They embarked on a journey to monitor 17,000 penguins as part of their efforts to study the virus and prevent its spread. Our Maxwell® RSC 48 was delivered to extract nucleic acids from the samples, which are set to be analyzed using qPCR.

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Embracing Spring at Promega: A Commitment to Environmental Stewardship and Sustainable Growth 

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This blog is guest-written by Jason Hankes, Manager, Land & Natural Resources, Promega Corporation 

At Promega, the arrival of spring is not merely a celebration of nature’s rejuvenation, but also a reflection of our steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship. This vibrant season allows us to spotlight a crucial ecological initiative: the controlled prairie burn. Conducted every three to five years across over 25 acres of native prairie restorations, these burns are essential for habitat health. They not only reduce the risk of wildfires but also curb invasive weeds and stimulate new growth. Undertaking these burns exemplifies how Promega reinforces its commitment to environmental stewardship – a foundational principle that guides our operations and influences our architectural designs. 

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Beyond April: Sustaining Momentum in Sexual Assault Awareness and Action  

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This guest blog post is written by Tara Luther, Sr. Marketing Specialist, Genetic Identity at Promega.

April 2024 marked the 23rd anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) in the United States. While we have crossed into May, the importance of what SAAM stands for does not diminish with the changing of the calendar. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) emphasizes that SAAM is a time to not only draw attention to the prevalence of sexual assault, but to also educate individuals and communities about how to prevent sexual violence. 

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AI in the Research Lab: Where We Are, and Where We’re Going

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This guest blog post is written by Poncho Meisenheimer, Vice President of Research and Development.

Poncho Meisenheimer is the Vice President of Research and Development at Promega Corporation.

I got into an argument with ChatGPT this morning.

That’s not unusual. I argue with ChatGPT a lot. In fact, that’s usually my goal.

As a scientist and a leader, it’s important to pressure-test my ideas. I need to account for biases, identify limitations, and strengthen weak points. Large language models like ChatGPT have given me a powerful tool in my pocket to become a better version of myself.

The advent of generative artificial intelligence has changed our world. We can’t keep doing things the way we did even only a year ago.

Promega is embracing AI. Every department is finding groundbreaking and responsible ways to deepen their impact using our ChatGPT enterprise license. As the Vice President of Research and Development, I have been working with our scientists to think beyond simple queries and imagine new horizons we can explore with these tools. 

Make no mistake: I don’t think that ChatGPT and other AI tools can, will or should replace human scientists. Instead, they will empower all scientists to ask more ambitious questions and uncover new answers. They will upend our current paradigm about what science is and how it operates, and will help us build an even deeper understanding of the world around us.

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Blending Art and Science in a Costa Rica Physics Lab

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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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