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Stories

Labs, distribution centers and whiteboard scribbles are just a few of the places innovative solutions come to life. We tell stories about these places and the faces behind them. Stories highlight the people behind scientific advances. Some showcase technology that revolutionizes day-to-day operations. Others feature the makings of out-of-the-box solutions. Through stories, we shine a light on how our work — and the work of our customers and partners — advances science.

Danielle Chavis wears a SPARK t-shirt and stands in front of the Curiosity Cube which is bright green, has images of two young scientists with the words “Breakthroughs Begin with Curiosity” on the front.
Finding Her Niche: Science and Community

For Danielle Chavis, combining her dual passions of teaching and service helps make work deeply fulfilling.

Ashwini Ghogare stands in her office and points toward a monitor on her right that displays a molecular structure from the AIDDISON platform.
Fast-Tracking Drug Discovery with an AI Boost

Before the new AI-powered drug discovery platform hit the market, it took trials, tribulations and a napkin.

 

Dr. Samira Bührer wears glasses, gloves and holds up a rapid test for Hansen’s disease.
New Tests for an Old Disease

Motivated by someone close to her, Dr. Samira Bührer designed and brought leprosy rapid tests into communities across Brazil with the support of Merck.

Abdi Wege wears a red flannel and holds a microphone in his right hand.
Abdi Wege: Building Connections Onsite and Beyond

As a co-lead of the Black Leadership Network, Wege creates a welcoming environment at his site and builds community across Merck.

 

Chevon Adams wears a black fleece and stands in front of a purple wall.
Chevon Adams: Building Connections Onsite and Beyond

As co-lead of the Black Leadership Network, Chevon Adams values building connections with colleagues and giving back to her community.

Thomas Kipping wears safety glasses and a lab coat standing next to a laser 3D printer.
Building Pills Layer by Layer

3D printing allows drug manufacturing to create personalized tablets rather than make a few billion of the same pills. Meet one scientist who’s driving the field forward.

Grace Yee wears a headset and sits at her desk. In the background is her desktop computer.
Please, Bother Us | Meet Grace Yee

Thirty years ago, she learned how to culture cells. Ever since she's helped customers sort out what's causing issues in their cell cultures.

Dr. Ponnusamy wears a lab coat is writes out chemical compounds on glass with a marker.
A “Measured” Approach to Advance Green Chemistry

Two chemists working in different settings bring a greener lens to the bench and empower others to do the same.

Paula Shivley sits at her desk with three screens behind her.
Please, Bother Us | Meet Dr. Paula Shively

Dr. Paula Shively, a longtime technical service expert, guides scientists through challenging moments in the lab. A decade later, she vividly remembers one conversation. 

Rendering of a lipid nanoparticle, which consists of different lipids and mRNA inside
The Science Behind mRNA and Delivery Shuttles

There's more (science) behind the word “mRNA” — from custom lipids to specialized manufacturing processes. 

Eleni Samaridou stands in the lab wearing a lab coat, gloves and glasses.
Eleni Samaridou: The People Behind mRNA and Delivery Shuttles

Designing and building the right spaceship (lipid nanoparticle) for the astronaut (mRNA) takes teamwork and some failed attempts.

Haag stands in the lab in a lab coat and wearing safety glasses.
Tobias Haag: The People Behind mRNA and Delivery Shuttles

Creating a lipid nanoparticle takes multiple lipids, some of which are highly specialized to the task at hand and manufactured by Haag’s team.

Aditi wears PPE and uses a pipette to extract a solution in the lab.
Aditi Mehta: The People Behind mRNA and Delivery Shuttles

To optimize the process of creating custom mRNA and lipid nanoparticles Mehta asks some “out there” questions.

Karwa stands in lab next to an analytical instrument that helps determine the purity of mRNA.
Mahesh Karwa: The People Behind mRNA and Delivery Shuttles

The pivot from very small quantities of mRNA vaccines or therapeutics to large-scale production isn't trivial.

Lang looks at camera while working in the lab.
Kahina Lang: The People Behind mRNA and Delivery Shuttles

In order to shrink the timeline from idea to final RNA-based therapeutic, scientists need to figure out a faster way to identify viable carrier systems.

Shannon wears a lab coat, blue gloves and safety glasses and stands in an M Lab — a non-GMP biomanufacturing setting. She is smiling and holding onto a bin bag, which is situated in the lower left corner.
Solutions in the (New) Bag

Developing more durable films and, ultimately, more resilient single-use bags took years of careful tinkering, testing and tinkering with testing.

Andrew License : A Little Pin, A Lot Of Pride
A Little Pin, A Lot of Pride

Andrew License relishes connecting with customers, which recently includes more LGBTQIA+ scientists and allies — an evolution that brings deeper meaning to his day-to-day work.

Fostering an Inclusive Workplace is Top of Mind for André Silva
Fostering an Inclusive Workplace is Top of Mind for André Silva

André found comfort in sharing his identity at work and now helps to ensure that colleagues — near and far — receive support too.

Danielle Bartz wears a pink hat and plastic gloves while holding up a circular filter with two sets of tweezers.
Products on Location: Researchers Filter for Sharks Piece by Piece

Danielle Bartz, a PhD researcher at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, spends a lot of time on boats to determine whether scalloped hammerhead sharks still call Hilo Bay home.

A handful of students sit at their desks wearing lab coats and gloves. Two staff volunteers walk around to support students.
Beyond The Bench, Into The Classroom

With sights set on finding someone to eventually take her spot at the bench, a quality control chemist commits to connecting youth with science.

Scientific glassblower
Scientific Glassblowers Handle the Heat

Glass vials and beakers are molded by mass production, but customized scientific glassware is handcrafted and repaired by highly-trained scientific glassblowers in a process filled with sparks, pops and tense moments.

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