Protogen Corporation is a subsidiary of Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile, created to weaponise the protomolecule. Operating under extreme secrecy, Protogen orchestrated the Eros incident - deliberately infecting the station's population with the protomolecule to study its effects on living subjects. The corporation employed its own private security forces and maintained black-site research facilities. Its lead scientist, Antony Dresden, argued that the sacrifice of Eros's population was justified by the technological gains. Protogen's activities were exposed by the Rocinante crew and Bingtown journalist Monica Stuart, leading to a system-wide scandal. The corporation was destroyed, but its parent company Mao-Kwikowski continued to pursue protomolecule research through other channels.