MDI Biological Laboratory
Alum Spotlight

From Student to Scientist: My INBRE Fellowship Journey

  • January 27, 2026
Georgia Burton is an international student from Jamaica, enrolled at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. Her experience at MDI Biological Laboratory started with a short course in January 2025, and was followed with an INBRE Fellowship that summer.

In January 2025, I attended a short course at Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, taught by Hannah Lust, Ph.D., Director of STEM, Undergraduate & Graduate Training, and Elisabeth Marnik, Ph.D., Director of Science Education and Outreach. It was fast-paced, immersive and extremely hands-on. The course pushed me, for the first time, to think critically, apply biological concepts in real time and work collaboratively in a research environment. I gained valuable exposure to wet lab techniques and experimental design, which sparked my interest in pursuing more research opportunities.

Fortunately the INBRE Fellowship Program was brought to my attention by my instructors. I met all the requirements and I applied, eager to explore whether research was something that I wanted to pursue after my undergraduate degree. A few weeks later, I was thrilled to learn that I had been selected as an INBRE Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow. I was placed at MDI Bio Lab in the Updike lab along with another student from Bates College.

Associate Professor Dustin Updike, Ph.D., came highly recommended for his mentorship and guidance by a previous INBRE recipient who had attended the University of Maine at Fort Kent. I found him to be a profound mentor.

During the summer fellowship, I worked on a project that explored how cells maintain their identity and what happens when that regulation is disrupted. In scientific terms, we were studying how epigenetic regulation preserves the boundary between germline and somatic cells. To visualize gene activity, we used fluorescent markers that made certain genes glow under the microscope. This allowed us to literally watch when and where a normally silent gene was turned on.

A major part of the project involved generating mutant C. elegans lines to see how changes in gene regulation affected cell identity. We screened for strains where a normally silent gene was active in the wrong cells. Through this approach, we identified four mutant strains that maintained this unusual gene activity for multiple generations. Observing these changes under the microscope was both tedious and exciting, and I reached a point where abstract epigenetic concepts finally felt tangible and dynamic.

Over the course of the summer, I spent time troubleshooting experiments, interpreting fluorescent data and thinking critically about how changes in regulation might affect cells in the long term. These experiences strengthened my understanding of molecular biology and gave me a deeper appreciation of the experimental process.

Beyond technical skills, the MDI Bio Lab community played an important role in my development as a scientist. What really stood out to me was the collaborative research environment. Collaborating with graduate researchers and other fellows from diverse backgrounds helped me grow. This fostered a supportive and intellectually engaging environment that emphasized teamwork, mentorship and scientific curiosity. These interactions reinforced the importance of collaboration and community in successful research.

Overall, my experiences at MDI Bio Lab, starting with the January short course and continuing through the summer fellowship, had a huge impact on my academic and professional development. They strengthened my interest in molecular research and confirmed my passion for pursuing a future in developmental biology and disease.