General News
A Q&A with Edward Seckeler: Comparative Animal Model Core Manager
- May 22, 2025
From maintaining zebrafish and axolotl colonies to supporting users working with C. elegans (roundworms) and Drosophila (fruit flies), the CAM team ensures that researchers can focus on their science while the animals at the heart of their work receive exceptional care. In this Q&A, we speak with the CAM Core’s lead about what goes into maintaining such a complex operation.
1. What is the Comparative Animal Model Core (CAM), and what does it do?
The CAM Core maintains approximately 15,000 zebrafish, up to 500 African turquoise killifish, and around 6,000 axolotl (Mexican salamanders). This involves adhering to a strict feeding and cleaning schedule, hatching and harvesting live feed daily (artemia/brine shrimp), performing daily water quality checks and weekly water analyses across all our recirculating systems, and conducting manual water changes for animals housed outside of those systems.
My team also performs weekly health inspections of every individual animal on campus. Beyond animal care, we maintain 11 water recirculating systems—this includes replenishing consumables, calibrating probes, cleaning filters, and conducting deep cleans as needed. We also support lab groups using C. elegans and Drosophila by preparing agar plates and fly food.
2. How does the CAM support MDI Bio Lab faculty with their research?
We support our faculty by providing healthy, well-maintained animals housed in tightly controlled conditions. This is made possible by our dedicated team of highly trained technicians whose sole focus is animal care and facility upkeep. One of the unique strengths of MDI Bio Lab is this separation of responsibilities—researchers can concentrate on their science knowing their models are being looked after to the highest standard. It also benefits the animals, who receive consistent, specialized care from staff whose only goal is to keep them healthy and comfortable.
I host monthly user meetings where we openly discuss project needs with faculty and how my team can best support them. This might include adjusting feeding regimens for specific individuals, providing extra care for the animals that need it, experimenting with new environmental parameters, or offering advice for improving spawning success.
In addition to these meetings, I maintain an open-door policy and always welcome questions, feedback, and requests. I find one-on-one conversations especially valuable—they often lead to productive changes that improve our program and better support the scientific goals of the lab.
3. How did you end up in this field? What kinds of training does your team have?
My journey into this field began when I was very young and received The Ocean World of Jacques Cousteau book set. That sparked a lifelong passion for aquatic ecosystems and animals—fishing and scuba diving every chance I got. I carried that interest into my academic life, majoring in Marine Sciences at SUNY Stony Brook University.
After graduation, I transitioned into large-scale colony management, eventually managing the world’s largest Ball python breeding facility. From there, I moved into fisheries management, working as a NOAA Northeast Fisheries Observer. That role deepened my expertise in ichthyology and population statistics. Then, almost by chance, I found an open position here at MDI Bio Lab that felt like the perfect blend of my background and interests. I’ve been here ever since—this fall will mark four years!
The rest of my team come from a wide range of experience with many members have training in environmental or lab sciences. I believe in building a team that brings different perspectives to the table—it leads to creative solutions and a stronger program overall. We’ve had team members who were HVAC technicians, ballet teachers, aquarists, mariners and more. This mix of skills and viewpoints helps us approach problems from angles we might not otherwise consider.
We’re also currently running a pilot apprenticeship program, partnering with Educate Maine, to offer students a valuable experience and exposure to this interesting field of work.