Promega
{{Short description|Biotechnology company}}
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{{Infobox company
| name =
| logo = Promega_logo.svg
| logo_size =
| logo_alt = Promega's logo
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| image = File:PromegaHQ MadisonWI.JPG
| image_size = 250px
| image_alt = Headquarters building of Promega
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| former_name = Biotec
| type = Private
| industry = Biotechnology
| founded = 1978
| founder =
| hq_location =
| hq_location_city = Madison, Wisconsin
| hq_location_country = United States
| area_served =
| key_people = William A. Linton Chairman and CEO
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| website = {{Official URL}}
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Promega Corporation is a Madison, Wisconsin{{En dash}}based manufacturer of enzymes and other products for biotechnology and molecular biology with a portfolio covering the fields of genomics, protein analysis and expression, cellular analysis, drug discovery, and genetic identity.{{cite web|url=http://www.promega.com/aboutus/company-information/|title=Company Information|access-date=January 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102144554/http://www.promega.com/aboutus/company-information|archive-date=January 2, 2013|url-status=live}}
History
Promega Corporation was founded by Bill Linton in 1978 to provide restriction enzymes for biotechnology.{{cite web|url=http://www.promega.com/enotes/features/fe0016_tabs.htm |title=Promega eNotes - Feature |access-date=November 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704152116/http://www.promega.com/enotes/features/fe0016_tabs.htm |archive-date=July 4, 2008 }} The company now offers more than 4,000 life science products used by scientists, researchers and life science and pharmaceutical companies. Promega has 1,601 employees. Revenue is approaching $450 million (USD) in 2019.{{cite web |url=http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/building-on-success-promega-corp-has-blossomed-and-it-s/article_43e85c46-913a-11e1-b7af-001a4bcf887a.html |title=Building on success: Promega corp. has blossomed, and it's not done growing yet |access-date=January 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905092007/http://host.madison.com/wsj/business/building-on-success-promega-corp-has-blossomed-and-it-s/article_43e85c46-913a-11e1-b7af-001a4bcf887a.html |archive-date=September 5, 2012 |url-status=live }}
The privately held company has branch offices in 16 countries and more than 50 global distributors serving 100 countries.{{cite web |url=http://www.promega.com/aboutus/company-information/ |title=Company Information |access-date=January 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102144554/http://www.promega.com/aboutus/company-information |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |url-status=live }} Promega Corporation also established the first biotechnology joint venture in China (Sino-American Biotechnology Co. in 1985).{{cite web |url=http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2008/05/25/0805250226.php |title=madison.com |access-date=November 11, 2008}}
The company has developed an on-site stocking system, which uses radio frequency identification (RFID) linked to the Internet to track and manage remote inventory. This resulted in the spin-off company Terso Solutions that specializes in the design and manufacturing of small RFID storage units.2005 [http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2005/11/15/0511150112.php Report: Promega spins off RFID unit.] The Capital Times. November 15. Business, 8B. Retrieved on July 7, 2008.
In February 2020, Foreign Policy reported that Promega had sold equipment to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.{{Cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/19/china-xinjiang-surveillance-biosecurity-state-dna-western-tech/|title=China's Biosecurity State in Xinjiang Is Powered by Western Tech|last1=Batke|first1=Jessica|last2=Ohlberg|first2=Mareike|date=February 19, 2020|website=Foreign Policy|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228012207/https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/19/china-xinjiang-surveillance-biosecurity-state-dna-western-tech/|archive-date=February 28, 2020|access-date=2020-02-28}} In 2021, The New York Times reported that, despite bans, Promega equipment continued to be sold to police in Xinjiang.{{Cite news|last=Wee|first=Sui-Lee|date=2021-06-11|title=China Still Buys American DNA Equipment for Xinjiang Despite Blocks|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/business/china-dna-xinjiang-american.html|access-date=2021-06-30|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2021-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630065552/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/11/business/china-dna-xinjiang-american.html|url-status=live}}
Product areas and technologies
=Genomics=
The company's portfolio began with products for genomics researchers and now includes cloning systems, luciferase reporters, and amplification products as well as the original restriction and modifying enzymes. The portfolio of amplification products includes the GoTaq family of polymerases, buffers and the Plexor quantitative PCR system.{{Cite web|url=https://www.promega.com/products/|title=Products|website=www.promega.com|access-date=2019-07-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606050319/https://www.promega.com/products/|archive-date=2019-06-06|url-status=live}}
=Genetic identity and forensics=
The company is one of two main suppliers of systems for genetic identification based on DNA analysis using short tandem repeats (STRs).[http://dna.gov/ Amplification on-line training course at DNA.gov] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080830205453/http://www.dna.gov/ |date=2008-08-30 }} Promega was the first company to provide kits for STR analysis of single loci. Along with Applied Biosystems, Promega participated with the FBI and other crime labs in validating STR loci that would eventually be selected as the core loci for the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), used for forensic DNA testing in North America.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nij.gov:443/journals/266/Pages/backlogs-codis.aspx|title=What is CODIS?|website=National Institute of Justice|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703184845/https://www.nij.gov/journals/266/Pages/backlogs-codis.aspx|archive-date=2019-07-03|url-status=live}}
The Promega PowerPlex STR systems were the first commercially available systems for STR analysis that contained all of the CODIS loci.
=Proteomics=
Promega was an early supplier in the cell-free protein synthesis field and is continuing to develop its portfolio in this area.{{cite journal |vauthors=Zhao KQ, Hurst R, Slater MR, Bulleit RF |title=Functional protein expression from a DNA based wheat germ cell-free system |journal=J. Struct. Funct. Genomics |volume=8 |issue=4 |pages=199–208 |date=December 2007 |pmid=18034374 |doi=10.1007/s10969-007-9035-2 |s2cid=22879321 }}
=Integrated platforms=
The company also sells their own Maxwell RSC and Maxwell RSC 48 Systems, bench-top automated purification systems for low and middle throughput research and diagnostic laboratories.(2008) [http://www.genomeweb.com/issues/news/147222-1.html Promega gets CE Mark for DNA purification system. GenomeWeb Daily May 29.] (accessed July 18, 2008)
The Y-Chromosome Deletion Detection System from Promega also carries the CE Mark for use as an in vitro diagnostic device in the European Union.{{Cite web|url=https://www.promega.com/products/molecular-diagnostics/amplification/y-chromosome-deletion-detection-system-version-2_0/|title=Y Chromosome Deletion Detection System, Version 2.0|website=www.promega.com|access-date=2019-07-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703200354/https://www.promega.com/products/molecular-diagnostics/amplification/y-chromosome-deletion-detection-system-version-2_0/|archive-date=2019-07-03|url-status=live}}
See also
Footnotes
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