science and creativity

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. 

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Can AI Help You Develop a Research Proposal?

Posted on by Jordan Nutting

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the process of scientific research offers a wealth of efficiency-boosting tools that are transforming the ways scientists can approach their work. Many are already using AI to refine code, automate data processing, and edit papers, presentations, abstracts and more. Personally, I find generative language models like ChatGPT to be invaluable “editorial assistants” in my work as a science writer, helping me work through wonky sentence structures, be more concise and get over writer’s block, to name a few applications.

An AI-generated image of a man in a white lab coat who has a thoughtful look on his face. He is looking off camera with his hand on his chin. The background is a field of light bursts and bright lines against a dark backdrop.
Image generated using Adobe Firefly

But a scientist’s work doesn’t only involve writing or analyzing data, making presentations or keeping up with the literature. An essential component of any research scientist’s skillset is their ability to develop entirely new ideas and novel research proposals. Coming up with research questions and plans is a central component of graduate education and research careers, both in academia and industry.

As AI continues to advance and find broader use, a critical question arises: Can AI play a pivotal role in the creative process of developing entirely new ideas, such as crafting novel research proposals?

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Enhancing Creativity: The Promega Employee Art Show 2020

Posted on by Kari Kenefick

What hangs in the hallways of your workplace? Advertising? Awards? Commercially-sourced artwork? The Promega campus in Madison, WI, is composed of eight buildings. In many of these buildings you’ll find all of the above.

But as you enter the atrium of the BTC (Biopharmaceutical Technology Center) building where the Employee Art Show hangs, you’re greeted by handmade, homemade artwork, including drawings, ceramics, paintings, photographs and quilts.

Promega employees examine artwork in the BTC during the 2020 Employee Art Show opening.

These art pieces hold the distinction of being created by talented Promega employees, their families and friends. The annual Promega Employee Art Show opened Friday, January 17, with approximately 150 works displayed, including pieces created by parents of employees, employees and their children. These art pieces are on display to the public through the end of February 2020.

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