At this year’s Wisconsin Biohealth Summit, attendees were captivated by an inspiring Day 2 keynote from Sara Mann, Vice President of Commercial Excellence at Promega Corporation. Her talk, titled “Promega: Powered by Exploration to Change the World,” took the audience on a journey through Promega’s remarkable history, commitment to scientific advancement, and ambitious vision for the future, underscored by its recent integration of generative AI.
From Humble Beginnings to Global Impact
Promega’s journey began over 45 years ago with a question from founder Bill Linton to his fellow scientists: “What do you need to make your work easier?” What started as a small startup at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has since evolved into a global force in biohealth, with operations in over 16 countries and products that support scientific endeavors across more than 100 nations. Sara highlighted Promega’s expansion across sectors—pharmaceuticals, food safety, clinical diagnostics, forensics, and academia—grounded in a mission of enabling scientific discovery.
This growth has been accompanied by a focus on reinvesting in research and development, with a remarkable 12.9% of 2023 revenue allocated to R&D. Sara emphasized that Promega’s success is rooted in its commitment to operational excellence and long-term strategic planning. It continually innovates while remaining dedicated to the values that shaped its origins.
Embracing AI as a Driver of Innovation
Sara’s keynote highlighted Promega’s embrace of AI, which has become integral in optimizing both internal processes and customer engagement. AI capabilities are allowing Promega to better predict demand, refine logistics, and personalize products and services to meet scientists’ needs with greater precision. Promega’s logistics team, for example, boasts an impressive 99.9% global shipping accuracy—a testament to their dedication to reliability.
AI also plays a pivotal role in product development, with Promega leveraging these technologies to design new assays, simulate biological processes, and enhance lab automation. With over 1,000 unique generative AI models supporting functions from marketing to R&D, Promega’s use of AI streamlines workflows and fosters creativity. The applications of AI across content creation, code generation, and data synthesis enable scientists to operate with data-driven insights and accuracy like never before.
Generative AI in Action at Promega
Sara shared several examples of AI applications driving efficiency at Promega:
- Scientific Content Creation and Literature Review: AI assists teams in drafting product content, conducting literature reviews, and preparing regulatory submissions, freeing researchers to focus on more strategic analysis.
- Personalized Customer Support: AI algorithms help Promega offer tailored customer interactions, enhancing satisfaction and trust.
- Conversational AI for Customer Service: Promega’s multilingual AI chatbot allows global support teams to communicate seamlessly with clients across languages, making customer service more accessible and responsive.
- Data Augmentation and Synthesis: By augmenting and synthesizing data, Promega is able to enhance AI models’ learning without costly, additional tests—a significant benefit for rare disease research or fields with limited real-world data.
Real-world applications of these tools abound: a GPT model for Promega’s Maxwell platform enables efficient information retrieval for specific products and reagents, saving programming time and accelerating development. In another example, the North American sales team collaborated with AI to create a themed activity for a sales meeting, demonstrating AI’s adaptability in creative contexts and its ability to enhance engagement.
A Culture of Purpose and Stewardship
Beyond technological innovation, Sara emphasized Promega’s dedication to its employees and the environment. Driven by a “science-first” philosophy, Promega is committed to fostering well-being and creativity among its staff. The company has set ambitious sustainability targets, including sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2025. By designing workspaces that promote employee health and supporting programs for student loan assistance, volunteerism, and wellness, Promega exemplifies a people-centered approach to corporate responsibility.
Promega’s community involvement extends to collaborations with educational and research institutions, further underscoring its commitment to positive societal impact. Programs supporting scientific education and community engagement highlight Promega’s dedication to giving back and investing in the next generation of innovators.
Looking Ahead: AI and the Future of Life Sciences
Sara gave attendees a look to the future, sharing Promega’s goal for 2078—its 100th anniversary. As Promega envisions its next era of innovation, AI will be central to this journey. From streamlining tasks to generating novel insights, Promega’s AI integration positions it as a leader in biohealth, helping the scientific community tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
In this inspiring session, Promega’s story emerged as not just one of scientific achievement but of a steadfast commitment to bettering the world. By harnessing the power of AI and fostering a culture rooted in purpose, Promega is paving the way for a future where technology and humanity come together to drive meaningful change.
