MDI Biological Laboratory
General News

Looking to 2021 – How Your Gift Will Boost Scientific Discovery

  • October 27, 2020

It’s hard to believe that we’re once again approaching a new season — when fall’s bright colors fade to usher in the inevitable Maine winter. During this tumultuous year, nature has had a calming influence on me. It’s reassuring to know that time and the seasons march determinedly forward, regardless of circumstance.

And so too the MDI Biological Laboratory continues to move forward.

As you will no doubt agree, 2020 has been challenging. Through the unknowns of the coronavirus, we’ve problem solved and adapted, and our faculty, staff, and students continue to show their strength and resilience.

Widespread travel restrictions meant fewer visiting faculty at MDIBL in 2020, but our full-time research programs are growing. This year we recruited two outstanding faculty: Prayag Murawala, Ph.D., who studies limb regeneration in the axolotl (Mexican salamander), and Romain Madelaine, Ph.D., who studies nerve and muscle regeneration in zebrafish.

Our dedicated education team worked tirelessly to adapt our research training programs to an online platform so that students wouldn’t miss out on valuable learning opportunities. We’re very proud that while other institutions deferred or cancelled summer fellowships and courses, we served 50 students and 438 participants this summer. And I began an unexpected research project with the discovery that a molecule we have been studying as part of our focus on kidney disease may be able to prevent the coronavirus from binding with ACE-2 receptors, a key entry point into the body for the virus. I look forward to updating you on our progress.

Our generous supporters make it all possible. Your generosity humbles us, but also fuels our drive and determination.

My hope is that my lab makes important contributions to aging and regenerative science and that it continues to grow. The single greatest obstacle to progress is having enough talented personnel; people are the most expensive but also most important part of research. Recruiting bright minds is the best way to accelerate the discovery process and to make a real difference. Our donors are a vital part of making this happen.

Aric Rogers, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, MDI Biological Laboratory

There is one more outstanding highlight I wanted to share — and it’s something you can be part of! We’ve been given a one-million-dollar match challenge from an anonymous donor. From now until December 31, all new or increased gifts will be matched dollar for dollar.

Will you help us leverage this incredible opportunity by giving to MDIBL today? Just think of the impact your gift could have when it is DOUBLED!

In the video above, you’ll hear from Iain Drummond, Ph.D., Director of our Kathryn W. Davis Center for Aging and Regeneration about just how your contributions help us move research forward. With your support to reach our goal, MDIBL will receive up to TWO MILLION DOLLARS in funding total, which would:

  • Support ongoing recruitment to strengthen research programs and support faculty tackling new and innovative projects.
  • Accelerate MDIBL’s work to become an international hub, bringing together the most talented scientists in the fields of aging and regenerative medicine.
  • Bolster our educational and research training offerings.

Each day, donor support brings us one step closer to the science that could help you, your loved ones, and countless others live longer, healthier lives. It is your continued help and generosity that lets us plan for an even more successful 2021 — so please don’t wait. There is no better time to put your generosity to work for a better tomorrow AND double your gift.

This year, you also get an added benefit — under the CARES Act 2020 charitable gifts up to $300 are tax deductible, even if you don’t itemize your taxes.

It’s easy – you can give online securely and quickly. Thank you.

Hermann Haller, M.D.
President, MDI Biological Laboratory