Learning from one of nature’s most purposeful engineers

The honeycomb is one of nature’s most compelling forms. Attractive, functional and precise, it supports the honey bee’s role as a crucial facilitator of life. As humans, we rely on these natural engineers for our own survival as they pollinate the fruit, vegetables and seed crops that account for much of what we eat. Equally remarkable is the honey bees’ ability to sustain themselves within the beehive, a production facility unlike any other.

To produce a single pound of honey, bees (Apis mellifera) visit over two million flowers and fly up to 55,000 miles. Every contribution is essential, no matter how small. Their ability to organize themselves into complementary roles — as engineers, chemists, mathematicians, nurses, guards, and stewards — makes the honey bees’ performance impressive given their tiny size.

Honey bees are among the world`s best navigators. Using the sun as a compass, a honey bee can locate a small patch of flowers miles away from her home and draw the hive’s attention to the new-found opportunity.

The equally impressive honeycomb’s hexagonal architecture is strong enough to support twenty times its weight. Cells are constructed simultaneously, back to back and in complete darkness, with unparalleled mathematical precision.

These attributes found in nature — diligence, precision and adaptability — have long inspired Michael Chambers, Aldevron’s Founding CEO, and serve as the foundation for Aldevron. Raised in a family whose livelihood was built upon a rich beekeeping tradition spanning generations, Michael observed firsthand how shared objectives, cooperation and ingenuity could combine to accomplish monumental goals.

While recognizing the honey bees’ commitment toward these aims, Michael recognized a crucial human component was needed to take this approach to the next level: Purpose. Inspired by his faith in God and the values of his upbringing, Michael established the company to serve others and make lives better.

Since Aldevron’s beginnings in 1998 at a small lab at North Dakota State University, the company has grown into a world-class service organization focused on helping others achieve breakthroughs in life science. Specializing in nucleic acid and protein production technologies, antibody development and custom services, Aldevron’s international presence engages a world-wide client base to address a wide range of research, preclinical, clinical, and commercial needs.

Aldevron’s strong commitment to serving clients comes together with inspiration from nature’s own engineers to provide a high-value service model. Diligence, precision, adaptability and efficiency –– the trademarks of the honey bee –– are the same trademarks you can count on from Aldevron.

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