Summer of Fun and Futures: Life in the Haller Lab
Keagan Dunbar and Alyssa Kent are rising seniors, spending their summer in the Haller Lab. Although only half-way through their time on campus, both already say they know it’s an experience of a lifetime. “I’m really happy here,” smiles Keagan, “I’ve learned so much more about the breadth of biomedical sciences and I know my…
Continue ReadingSharing MDIBL Career to Inspire Young Scientists
Held virtually this year, Karlee was one of three Maine scientists chosen to share, via video, a bit about what life science is, the variety of jobs within the industry, about MDI Biological Laboratory, and what her day-to-day job looks like. She also wrote the below blog to give more insight how she came to…
Continue ReadingNot Just a Drop in the Bucket
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element in many residential wells in Maine. At elevated levels, it poses a potentially significant health threat, causing cancer, heart disease, immune dysfunction, and developmental delays in children. MDI Biological Laboratory’s Jane Disney, Ph.D. has been engaging researchers, teachers, and students in Maine and New Hampshire in well water monitoring…
Continue ReadingAnother Successful Summer at MDIBL
Walking through the MDI Biological Laboratory courtyard on a sultry August afternoon, you couldn’t help but be inspired by the depth and breadth of research from our 2021 student fellows. 45 undergraduate and high school students from institutions across the country, working with mentors at MDIBL and other INBRE institutions around Maine, spent 10 weeks…
Continue ReadingChalk Talks Still Going Strong
The iconic chalkboard got a new coat of paint this year and was ready for action! One of the many Chalk Talk presenters this year, MDIBL student alum and Duke University Assistant Professor Nishad Jayasundara, Ph.D. was a great illustration of how MDIBL can become a full circle experience. Nishad’s presentation was particularly poignant. As an…
Continue ReadingThe Momentum of Summer at MDIBL
Summer is here and never has June’s arrival brought such delight! At the beginning of June we welcomed 29 summer student fellows and the first round of what will be a total of 16 visiting scientists to campus. While every year our seasonal researchers bring an infusion of energy to MDIBL, this year in particular, we feel…
Continue ReadingThis Is Why: Joan Mansfield
I spent my summers on Mt. Desert Island as a child, and I loved (and still do!) hiking the island trails and combing the beaches. At the end of high school, I worked at MDIBL for five weeks in the summer of 1969. We worked to extract a nerve substance from starfish legs and used…
Continue ReadingBetter Imaging Makes for Better Understanding
After completing his doctorate, Bonnet continued honing his live image microscopy skills at the Biotechnology Center (BIOTECH) at Technische Universität Dresden in Germany before joining MDIBL in mid-2019. In the 2 years since, Bonnet has driven the improvement and growth of the LMF, the focus always being getting the faculty what they need to do…
Continue ReadingThis Is Why: Jaspreet Kohli
MDI Biological Laboratory’s summer fellowship programs strive to offer a well-rounded, unique research experience for students. Working on real-world, meaningful science alongside avid and invested mentors, and the chance to make long-lasting friendships in a stunning coastal location, make a summer at MDIBL what it is: a fun, educational, memorable, and in many cases, a…
Continue Reading