Biomedical Bootcamp 2026

Our one-week bootcamp provides a hands-on introduction to biomedical research in a real laboratory setting. This in-person course will equip you with foundational scientific skills including experimental design, essential laboratory techniques, data analysis, and scientific communication. You will work alongside scientists at MDI Biological Laboratory to discover the exciting range of opportunities and career paths in biomedicine, research, and environmental health in Maine and beyond.

This course is for high school students entering their junior or senior year in September 2026, or those who will graduate in June 2026. It is designed as a day program, so all students must be able to commute to and from MDIBL each day. All students must be at least 16 years old at the start of the program. If you are under the age of 18 at the time of application, parental/guardian permission is required. A limited number of slots are available.

After an introduction to the scientific method and responsible conduct of research, students will engage in the following learning activities:

• Receive an introduction to laboratory science with a focus on biology and biochemistry underlying biomedical research, including how cells work and how DNA carries life’s instructions.
• Learn the basics of experimental design and hypothesis testing and practice thinking like a scientist.
• Review key concepts in molecular biology, including DNA replication, transcription, and translation, to understand the logic behind common lab techniques.
• Master core DNA techniques: DNA extraction from biological samples, electrophoresis agarose gels, Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR), and interpreting results to answer real research questions.
• Get hands-on with light microscopy: learn how microscopy works, use compound and stereo microscopes, and observe living organisms and tissues up close.
• Be introduced to environmental toxicology: explore how chemical pollutants and environmental stressors affect living organisms at the cellular and organismal level, and what this means for human health.
• Work with established animal models used in biomedical research, including planarians (flatworms with remarkable regenerative abilities) and zebrafish, to understand how scientists study biology and disease in living organisms.
• Explore the biology of aging: discover how scientists use simple animal models to ask big questions about why we age and how to promote healthy longevity.
• Tour the facilities at MDI Biological Laboratory and learn about the range of current research happening across the lab.
• Build science communication skills through presentations and discussions.
• Participate in a scientific ethics roundtable exploring the responsibilities that come with research.
• Discuss with scientists and bioentrepreneurs to explore career paths in Maine and the broader biomedical field.