By Lauren Whitman

At Luminex, we aim to make it easy for our customers to develop their own xMAP^® Technology assays. That’s why our amazing team of Field Applications Scientists and LuminexPLORE Custom Assay Services Lab work with customers to optimize reagents, develop assays, and troubleshoot any issues. Stephen Angeloni is there to help scientists make the most of their xMAP platforms, working closely with them to ensure their assays run as smoothly as possible. As a field-based Senior Field Applications Scientist and interim director of the LuminexPLORE Lab, Dr. Angeloni earned his PhD in biochemistry from Virginia Tech and has been with Luminex since 2011.

Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?

A: My job is to help clients build bead-based assays by working with them on selecting the best chemistry for their needs and helping them develop their assays with the reagents in their lab. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, I worked closely with labs to build novel assays to monitor COVID-19 infections and measure immune response. I also developed the first dual-reporter assay to monitor the immune response to COVID-19 infections.

Q: What did you do before this?

A: Before starting at Luminex 13 years ago, I was in academia, where I studied cancer, obesity, diabetes, vaccine development, and endocrinology. I worked on several molecular and proteomic applications as well as genetic, cellular, and protein engineering, and helped develop online bioinformatics tools at Northrop Grumman. Then, upon searching for other opportunities in the biotechnology industry, I focused on places that could use my experience in all these areas.

Q: What drew you to the company?

A: When I first learned about xMAP Technology, I noticed its broad versatility for the development of proteomic and genomic applications. These characteristics, along with the ability to multiplex, convinced me that this was a platform that would revolutionize research and diagnostics, and was something that my diversified experience could promote in different research and diagnostic markets, in addition to the development and testing of new therapeutics.

Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?

A: The pandemic demonstrated how xMAP Technology could be used in several different ways—from testing vaccine safety to monitoring vaccine production. xMAP Technology is very powerful for vaccine testing and immune monitoring for a broad range of pathogens, so I would be interested in developing more multiplex diagnostic assays that could fine-tune personalized medical diagnostics and treatment strategies for other infectious diseases.

Q: If you weren’t at Luminex, where would you be?

A: I really couldn’t see myself being anywhere but Luminex! What I do fits my experience so well; I don’t think there’s any other company that could offer me a platform that does so many things. My work is so diversified that it never gets boring. There’s always something new and different about a project that makes it challenging, and we work together as a team to meet those challenges with innovative solutions.

Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?

A: I used to do a lot of scuba diving and I once ran out of air when I was about 100 feet underwater. I was spearfishing with a friend off Cape Florida in Biscayne Bay near Miami, and when my air supply started running low, I was at the top of a reef and my friend was at the bottom. I tried to maneuver myself towards my friend so I could obtain some air from him, but a big hog snapper shot out of the reef, and my friend swam after it. By then my tank was totally empty, and I knew I could not make it to the surface, so I swam toward my friend with my speargun and gently jabbed him in the calf with the spear tip to get his attention. Luckily that got his attention. When he saw my “no air” signal, he handed me his spare regulator.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do in Maryland on the weekend?

A: Several months ago, we adopted a new poodle puppy, so we like to walk with him in the woods and let him run around wild in the yard. Cody is just so lovable! We drove to the Luminex Global meeting this year and brought him with us. Many of my colleagues wanted to play with him and take him for walks on the beach near the hotel.

By Lauren Whitman

We launched the LuminexPLORE Lab to help scientists around the world get answers faster. The LuminexPLORE Lab team handles custom assay development and a host of other custom projects based on our xMAP^® Technology. For this kind of work, we rely on people like Sloane Peck, Associate Scientist II, to make sure we deliver the best outcomes to our clients. She joined Luminex in 2021 and has both a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin in cellular and molecular biology.

Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?

A: Most of my work is in custom assay development, and I also spearhead most of the sample testing that comes through. I work with other scientists in the LuminexPLORE Lab and with our clients. If I develop an assay or am responsible for a step in the protocol, I’ll present that to the client myself.

Q: How did you get started on this career path?

A: I started noticing I was very interested in science in high school. I had this teacher for AP biology — she was the hardest teacher at the school, but I adored her. She made the class so interactive. She had been a researcher before teaching, so she gave me my first glimpse of what it’s like to be a scientist. I went into college with biology in mind, and it was microbiology that really captured my interest.

Q: What drew you to the company?

A: Luminex’s multiplexing technology, and the assays we create for customers, can seem like a minor part of bigger projects, but it makes such a difference for people. Being part of this company gives me a way to help, and I feel fulfilled doing it. Building these assays is helping people get tested for diseases, or it’s furthering research, or it has some other benefit. I also really like working with this team. We have a great vision. To elaborate, one of my favorite things about this team is that we really want to further research and help solve problems where we can, which aligns closely with my beliefs. While we are not directly helping patients by being medical doctors or nurses, we help them by building the bridge between gaps in knowledge so they can get more answers & live longer, healthier lives. And I see this throughout the team. Even when a project is very difficult, we use everything at our disposal to try to solve the problem at hand so the research on these projects can continue. The whole team doesn’t back away from a challenge and we all use their strengths to help make a difference where we can.

Q: What is something you wish more people knew about the LuminexPLORE Lab?

A: That we can do what you want if you just ask. Whenever there’s a new type of project, we will take a deep dive to see if it’s feasible first, and we won’t charge you for that. So, there’s no downside to asking.

Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?

A: I would say fungal infections such as Coccidioides, Cryptococcus, and Candida auris. The amount of funding that goes to these pathogens just isn’t enough, and the infections can be so severe. It’s something that we very much need to think about but it hasn’t gotten enough attention. I was thrilled when the HBO show “The Last of Us” came out because it got so many people to think about fungal infections for the first time. It’s important to pay attention because these pathogens are spreading rapidly and doctors need to be trained on them. Fungal infections are often misdiagnosed until it’s too late.

Q: If you weren’t at Luminex, where would you be?

A: Probably teaching. Something my master’s program taught me was how much I love teaching and helping people find that spark. You can see it in their eyes when they have that lightbulb moment of understanding something new. Teachers have such a broad scope to help students and they have to be really multifaceted.

Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?

A: I can’t wink. I try, but instead of a friendly wink I make the most awkward-looking face you can imagine. I can close one eye and hold it closed but it just never looks right. It’s such a silly thing!

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Austin on the weekend?

A: Go down to South Austin to soak up all the live music. You can do that almost any day in Austin — have good food with live music with all your friends. Something about being in a crowd listening to music is so comforting to me. I love that aspect of Austin.

By Lauren Whitman

We opened our LuminexPLORE Lab several years ago for one reason: to help customers make the most of their xMAP^® Technology platforms. Our scientists have the expertise to build custom assays, perform bead coupling, and test a variety of samples to find the optimal solution. Team member Joanna Dragich, PhD, Scientist III, works closely with customers to get them exactly what they need. She joined Luminex in 2020 and holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Carnegie Mellon University and a PhD in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?

A: I am a Scientist III, and I work in the LuminexPLORE Lab doing xMAP^® assay design and development. Customers come to us to save time, save money, and use our expertise to build assays. Often, we can build a new assay faster than a customer could if they were starting from scratch. I also guide customers through projects they want to do themselves. Whatever the need, our goal is to make it simpler for them.

Q: How did you get started on this career path?

A: I’ve always been attracted to biology. I started working in a research lab when I was about 19 and I haven’t left since! My background is in molecular and cellular neuroscience. In academia, I focused on how genetics can provide clues into what’s going wrong in neurological disorders.

Q: What drew you to Luminex?

A: I like the translational aspect of the company. The culture is all about being innovative to address clinical needs, and the technology itself is fantastic. Since xMAP is an open platform, people can be creative about how they apply it. I definitely could’ve used this as a graduate student and postdoc!

Q: What is something you wish more people knew about the LuminexPLORE Lab?

A: We’re here to aid customers in their success, and we’re willing to work within their budgets to make their ideas a reality. If xMAP Technology is right for them, we can help them find a way to use it. We’re always happy to jump on a call and point them in the right direction.

Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?

A: ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. There’s a big unmet need to find biomarkers for ALS and therapeutics to help treat and cure the disease. Tackling this would be a game-changer.

Q: If you weren’t at Luminex, where would you be?

A: I love animals and nature, and sometimes I dream about being a farmer or gardener. But I think I was meant to be a scientist.

Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?

A: I’m a scuba diver, and scuba diving is something that is challenging and amazing. It allows me to be in nature and see what the ocean is like underneath the water. I’ve even done it right here in Austin, at Lake Travis. It’s pretty neat, with lots of underwater structures.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Austin on the weekend?

A: I’m an outdoorsy person. I love going for a run around Lady Bird Lake — that’s something I try to do every weekend.

By Caitlin Butterworth

Luminex’s Manufacturing and Engineering teams accomplish extraordinary feats, testing and tweaking workflow processes to ensure that every product we ship to customers reflects our standards for impeccable quality. For such invaluable work, we trust the consistent ability of team members like Bruno De Oliveira, Process Engineer I. Bruno joined Luminex in 2020 and has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Fluminense Federal University.

We sat down with Bruno to learn more about his goals, interests, and inspirations—both on and off the manufacturing floor.

Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?

A: I’m currently responsible for redesigning the instrument manufacturing floor and evaluating and implementing new processes to make the product line more efficient. I also perform equipment validations and troubleshooting.

Q: How did you get started on this career path?

A: I chose to become an industrial engineer and that’s given me a vast knowledge of techniques to improve processes in any industry segment. I worked in oil and gas for a few years, but when I moved to the U.S., my wife and brother-in-law got me interested in the biotech field. My wife is also in the medical field and we both feel that it gives us a sense of having an impact on people’s lives. It’s been an amazing experience.

Q: What drew you to Luminex?

A: Luminex was really interesting to me because it has so many different instruments based on several technologies. It’s a good opportunity for process engineering and also gives me the chance to better understand the biotech field.

Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?

A: I would want to develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. My father-in-law has been battling MSA, or multiple system atrophy, for a few years. I see how it’s taken a toll on his life and my wife’s as well.

Q: If you weren’t at Luminex, where would you be?

A: I would like to work more as a volunteer at my church.

Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?

A: My wife and I donate money to help missionaries around the world with humanitarian programs.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Austin on the weekend?

A: It’s a nice city to be outdoors. When I’m not riding bikes with my wife at Lady Bird Lake, I like to play soccer with friends and coworkers.

At Luminex, we know that designing and delivering great products is only half the battle; the support of well-written instruction and documentation, including user manuals, is imperative to both product and customer success. For this vital role, we rely on people like Melanie Van Winkle, Technical Writer I, to provide excellent written communication to our customers. Melanie joined Luminex in 2022 and earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Texas, as well as a certificate in medical device regulatory affairs from the University of California, Irvine.

Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?

A: I write and maintain all the user-facing hardware and software documents for our instruments. I work in the Systems Development and Integration Department — SD&I, that’s what we call our instrument R&D group — so I also sometimes provide the perspective of a non-engineer. I take complicated engineering terminology and help articulate it into something that makes sense for a layperson.

Q: How did you get started on this career path?

A: I was always a really good writer. But then, I got a degree in biology and started working for an antimicrobial testing lab where we tested drugs, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. I realized I didn’t enjoy the hands-on part of biology as much; I wanted to stay within the scientific and technical realm, but get back to writing, so I became a technical writer.

Q: What drew you Luminex?

A: I liked that Luminex produces in-vitro diagnostic devices that help people, and I also liked the culture here. A couple of my former coworkers had come to Luminex before I did and seemed to enjoy the environment, so I had a feeling it would be a good fit for me, too.

Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?

A: My dad died three years ago from cancer. There have been a lot of really cool developments in immunotherapy lately, so if I had a magic wand, I would try to find some cures for cancer.

Q: If you weren’t at Luminex, where would you be?

A: I would probably write fantasy novels.

Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?

A: I play the piano. I took lessons for 12 years while I was growing up, and now I play more modern songs. Hearing AC/DC music on a piano is really cool.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Austin on the weekend?

A: I like all the restaurant and bar and entertainment options. We have a chain of arcades around here called Pinballz, and it’s a fun place to go on the weekends.