MARCH 2009

Maine Biological and Medical Sciences Symposium, April 17 − 18th

ark your calendar and plan to first-come first-served basis. Mjoin researchers from around the Simon John, Ph.D, will present this state for the 36th Annual Maine Biological year’s keynote lecture in honor of and Medical Sciences Symposium Barbara Knowles, Ph.D., entitled “Using (MBMSS) at the Mount Desert Island experimental genetics to define mecha - Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove, nisms of intraocular pressure elevation Maine. All Maine scientists, faculty, and and glaucoma.” A Howard Hughes students are invited to attend and Medical Institute Investigator, Dr. John is participate in the symposium. Any abstract Professor at The Jackson Laboratory in the biological and medical sciences is where Dr. Knowles, who is now Senior welcome. PI at the Institute of Medical Biology The abstract deadline has A*STAR in Singapore , was Vice been extended to March 23, 2009. The MBMSS is an excellent forum for President for Education and External young scientists or junior faculty to present Scientific Collaborations. and discuss their research. Students who Dr. John's laboratory investigates the participated in summer research in 2008 molecular features of complex diseases and students who will complete a thesis in that lead to the death of neural cells 2009 are especially encouraged to submit (neurodegeneration). Most of Dr. John's an abstract. Registration for all Maine projects focus on glaucoma. A major

undergraduate and graduate students is cause of human blindness, glaucoma is SIMON JOHN , P H.D. FREE (student fees are fully sponsored by often associated with elevated pressure HHMI/T HE JACKSON LABORATORY Maine INBRE). On-campus housing is within the eye itself. The harmfully high available to students free of charge on a pressure damages retinal ganglion cells, (continued on page three)

UPCOMING EVENTS In this Issue Honors and Awards Page 2 SAVE THE DATE INBRE Participants Attend Society for Neuroscience Meeting Page 3 In Brief: News from around the IDeA Network Page 4 IDeA Northeast Regional Meeting INBRE Junior Faculty, Ryan Bavis, PhD, Awarded R15 Grant Page 5 at Dartmouth College 2009 Laboratory Training Short Courses Page 6 August 5 - 7th, 2009 Imaging Core Names Director: Andy Christie, PhD Page 7 Update on Regional Core Facilities Page 7 2 Written by Hand . . .

experience through these intensive Christie, PhD. A long-time summer training sessions. Their dedication and investigator at MDIBL and INBRE enthusiasm are inspiring, and bring new Undergraduate Mentor, Andy brings a energy to campus after a long winter. wealth of imaging experience from his The end of winter always means own research to guide the core. that the Maine Biological and Medical Also in this issue, you’ll read about Sciences Symposium is right around the the achievements of some of our INBRE corner. The symposium is always a students who continue to impress us, fantastic gathering of researchers from and many others, with their sophisticat - all over the state, and provides a great ed approaches to their research. forum for sharing research results, Congratulations to Naveed Davoodian, promoting collaborations and reinvigo - Greg Sousa, and Ashley Gard on their rating our scientific imaginations. recent recognitions! We’re looking forward to welcoming Finally, we spotlight in this issue everyone to the symposium and hope the work of Ryan Bavis, PhD, an you will make your plans now to attend INBRE Junior Faculty Member from the April 17-18th event. It’s always a Bates College who was just awarded an wonderful opportunity to learn more R15 AREA grant for his work on about the breadth of scientific research hyperoxia. Dr. Bavis’ research studying going on around the state. the effects of high oxygen levels on Another important event to put on early postnatal development of the your calendar for this year is the IDeA respiratory control system may have Northeast Regional Meeting, which will implications for human infants that PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR , P ATRICIA HAND , P HD, be held at Dartmouth College in New receive supplemental oxygen in the Hampshire this August 5 – 7th. This neonatal intensive care unit. ur annual INBRE short courses gathering provides a forum to network Furthermore, the work in Dr. Bavis’ lab Obegan a few weeks ago when a with colleagues from other INBRE and exemplifies the intersection of research cohort of Colby College students came to COBRE programs around the region. and education that are at the heart of the the MDI Biological Laboratory for a Over the past few years our region has INBRE program, with many students workshop in biomedical research increased collaborative efforts, working benefiting from working in his lab over imaging. Over the next six weeks we’ll together to enhance regional cyberinfra - the last few years. host undergraduates from Bowdoin structure and access to core facilities. I look forward to seeing many of College, College of the Atlantic, and the You’ll read more about the progress of you at the April symposium, and to our University of Maine, including its the Regional Core Database and the continued work together to enhance bio - campuses at Farmington, Machias and Northeast Regional Life Sciences Core medical research and training in Maine. Presque Isle. Many of these students are Directors meeting in this issue. Best wishes, giving up their spring break for a chance We’re pleased to welcome our own Patricia Hand, PhD to increase their hands-on laboratory new Imaging Core Director, Andy Principal Investigator

Honors and Awards

008 INBRE Summer investigate whether mycorrhizal fungi STEM (Science, Technology, 2Undergraduate Research Fellow can be useful in cleaning soils that have Engineering and Mathematics) , College of become metallic because of pollution. Collaborative. A partnership between NAVEED DAVOODIAN the Atlantic ’10, is one of only 15 INBRE PI , state government, private industry, PATRICIA HAND national recipients of the Environmental , was elected to the Council of the nonprofit research institutions, and PHD Protection Agency's coveted Greater National Association of IDeA Principal education leaders, Maine STEM aims Research Opportunities Fellowships for Investigators (NAIPI) as a Northeastern to increase the number of graduating Undergraduate Environmental Study. Region Representative. She also serves students who enter into STEM fields Davoodian, who worked with Dr. on the Strategic Planning Subcommittee. beyond high school by 10% by 2011. Andrew Christie at MDIBL this past Outreach Core Co-Director The organization is also seeking to summer, will be studying mycorrhizal has joined raise $2 million for STEM activities in MICHAEL MCKERNAN fungi and their host soil types to the board of directors of the Maine the state. 3 INBRE Participants Attend Society for Neuroscience Meeting

ver twenty faculty and students from Bates College, MAINE INBRE R ESEARCH PRESENTED AT SFN 2008 OBowdoin College and the MDI Biological Laboratory were among the more than 31,000 participants in MYOSUPPRESSIN MODULATES THE OUTPUT AND INTERACTIONS OF the 2008 Society for Neuroscience Meeting, held in CENTRAL PATTERN GENERATORS IN THE STOMATOGASTRIC NERVOUS Washington D.C., November 15 – 19. Attracting participants SYSTEM OF THE LOBSTER HOMARUS AMERICANUS. CASHMAN CR, from around the world, the meeting is the premier STEMMLER EA, C HRISTIE AE, D ICKINSON PS. S OCIETY FOR Neuroscience event each year. NEUROSCIENCE ABSTRACTS , 2008, # 574.10. The Maine INBRE contingent presented seven posters during the three day meeting. Greg Sousa, a graduating senior at Bates College, won the Faculty for Undergraduate SYWKQCAFNAVSCF AMIDE : A BROADLY CONSERVED Neuroscience (FUN) award for Best Undergraduate Poster CRUSTACEAN C- TYPE ALLATOSTATIN . CHRISTIE AE, A CKERMAN RJ, ). BARTON EE, S TEVENS JS, G ABRANSKI ER, S TEMMLER EA, D ICKINSON (see page 4 for more details PS, S OCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE ABSTRACTS , 2008, # 30.13.

RNA I-MEDIATED KNOCKDOWN OF SEMAPHORIN IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF THE CRICKET , GRYLLUS BIMACULATUS. HORCH HW, W ILLIAMS C, B ROSNAN J. S OCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE ABSTRACTS , 2008, # 624.14.

CELL PROLIFERATION IN THE SEPTO -HIPPOCAMPAL PATHWAY : S EASON , LESION , AND SPECIES EFFECTS . GARDNER RD, L AW LM, M ITTERLING KL, R AMUS SJ, L EE DW. S OCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE ABSTRACTS , 2008, # 122.6.

RAPID STEROIDAL INFLUENCES ON VISUALLY -GUIDED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN MALE GOLDFISH . LORD L-D, T HOMPSON R. S OCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE ABSTRACTS , 2008, # 198.15.

2008 INBRE U NDERGRADUATE FELLOW ASHLEY GARD , U NIVERSITY OF MAINE ’10 DISTRIBUTION AND IMPACT OF NEUROPEPTIDE F (NPF) WITHIN THE BUCCAL FEEDING CIRCUITRY OF THE POND SNAIL , HELISOMA TRIVOLVIS. Ashley Gard, University of Maine ’10, was the only undergraduate to present a talk at the STG (stomatogastric SOUSA GL AND KLECKNER NW. S OCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE ganglion) Satellite Workshop. Over 200 researchers attend - ABSTRACTS , 2008, # 574.2. ed the session which included her presentation “ USING BIOINFORMATICS TO IDENTIFY NEW NEUROPEPTIDES IN PEPTIDOMIC ANALYSES OF THE NERCOUS SYSTEMS OF THE PRAWN DAPHIA .” Gard was a 2008 INBRE Summer Fellow at the MACROBRACHIUM ROSENBERGII AND THE WHITE SHRIMP LITOPENAEUS PULEX MDI Biological Laboratory in the lab of Dr. Andrew VANNAMEI. MA M, C HRISTIE AE, L I L. S OCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE Christie, Ph.D. ABSTRACTS , 2008 # 494.19.

Maine Biological & Medical Sciences Symposium (continued from page one) resulting in a pressure-induced from the submitted abstracts. for one-on-one scientific interaction and neurodegeneration. Glaucoma, which has Speakers selected from the abstracts networking. All participants, even those no obvious symptoms, is typically a will be a mix of investigators and giving platform presentations, are progressive disease that is only identified students. Due to time constraints, encouraged to present their research in after significant loss of vision has organizers will probably not be able to the poster session. We expect a large occurred. Dr. John’s lab employs genetics accommodate everyone who would crowd and lively conversation. An award as an instrument to assess risk, and uses a like to give a platform presentation. for Best Student Poster will be given at mouse model that is genetically susceptible We hope that anyone who can't be fit the conclusion of the symposium. to glaucoma to test potential therapies. into the platform sessions will present Abstract guidelines and registration There will be three platform sessions a poster of their work. information are available on the web at: of short (10-15 minute) talks, organized The symposium’s two poster thematically. In addition to invited sessions are a highlight of the meeting. www.mdibl.org/courses/mbmss09.shtml speakers, some speakers will be selected They present a wonderful opportunity 4 In Brief: News from around the INBRE Network

students and scientific collaborations. STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER GREG SOUSA , P AST INBRE F ELLOW BARBARA KNOWLES , P HD, J OINS A scanning electron microscope used AND RECENT BATES COLLEGE GRAD , A*STAR, S INGAPORE for high resolution magnification of WINS TOP AWARD FROM FACULTY FOR samples will tie in with Bates' Imaging UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE NBRE Steering Committee Center. It will have the capacity for energy member, Professor I BARBARA dispersive X-ray spectroscopy for former Vice President KNOWLES, P hD, elemental analysis or chemical characteri - for Education and External Scientific zation of a sample. Other instruments to be Collaborations at The Jackson Laboratory, purchased with the grant over the next five has started a new phase of her scientific years include a multi-chamber respirome - career as Senior PI at the Institute of ter system, an implantable telemetry Medical Biology, A*STAR (Agency for system, an X-ray diffractometer, a particle Science Technology and Research) in size analyzer, an RF spectrum analyzer Singapore. Knowles will also serve as an and quantitative polymerase chain reaction Academic Mentor and Advisor to the instrumentation. A*STAR Graduate Academy. Science faculty worked together to develop a list of equipment that would advance teaching and student research, and from that list chose instruments that could serve more than one department or program. INBRE Steering Committee member, Pamela Baker, PhD, Director of Faculty Research and Scholarship at Bates, n INBRE student from Bates anticipates that the addition of new ACollege took home the prize for equipment will play a vital role enhancing best Undergraduate Poster at collaborations across departments. November’s FUN symposium at the annual Society for Neuroscience


Meeting in Washington D.C. was awarded the GREG SOUSA ARSENIC AND GENE NETWORKS German Graduate Schools of NBRE Junior Faculty Neuroscience/Faculty for Undergraduate “Dr. Knowles made extraordinary ANTONIO and Neuroscience (FUN) prize, which brings contributions to IDeA network programs IPLANCHART , PhD, , with it a one week trip to visit top in Maine over the past seven years, as a CAROLYN MATTINGLY , PhD recently presented new findings on their neuroscience programs at German dedicated member of our Steering analysis of effects of low-level arsenic graduate schools. Committee, a mentor to both Junior exposure on fetal development at the Sousa’s winning poster, Faculty and students, and as a lead annual meeting of the Society for “ Distribution and impact of neuropeptide organizer of our Maine Biological and Experimental Toxicology and Chemistry. F (NPF) within the buccal feeding Medical Sciences Symposium,” explains Using curated data from the Comparative Principal Investigator, Patricia Hand, circuitry of the pond snail Helisoma Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) and ,” presented his senior thesis PhD. trivolvis microarray technology to leverage the research conducted under the guidance Maine INBRE will honor Dr. power of the zebrafish model, Planchart of Associate Professor of Biology (and Knowles this spring with an invited and Mattingly have identified several former INBRE Junior Faculty member), lecture in her honor at the Maine gene networks that are perturbed by . Biological and Medical Sciences NANCY KLECKNER environmentally relevant levels of Sousa, who graduated from Bates in Symposium, April 17 – 18th. arsenic. Pathway analysis suggests that January, plans to visit institutions in


these networks are critical for embryonic Berlin and Munich as he considers grad - development and are implicated in uate schools. For the moment, he’s arsenic-associated diseases. The team taken a position as Research Assistant at BATES COLLEGE RECEIVES $500,000 INSTRUMENTATION GRANT has validated their results using The Jackson Laboratory, and plans to QRT-PCR, providing the groundwork for work for a few years before embarking he Sherman Fairchild studying the involvement of epigenetic on graduate studies. His new position is TFoundation recently awarded modifications in arsenic mechanisms of in the lab of Dr. Simon John, PhD, Bates College $500,000 to purchase action and the effects of developmental whose research investigates the molecu - seven scientific instruments that will exposure to arsenic on disease suscepti - lar features of complex diseases that lead enhance research opportunities for bility later in life. to the death of neural cells. 5 Ryan Bavis, PhD, Awarded NIH AREA Grant

adult rat is approximately one-third the Dr. Bavis’ INBRE research is also size it would be in a normal adult. furthering the studies and skills of many The reduced size correlates with a Bates College students, with more than a decreased response to low oxygen in dozen students working in his lab over the blood. While a normal adult would the last four years. Currently, students start breathing more to compensate for are working on separate hyperoxia-relat - low blood oxygen levels, rats with ed project in the Bavis lab for their senior small carotid bodies don’t increase thesis projects, including one which their breathing adequately. Long-term measures the exercise performance and consequences of inadequate response to metabolic rates of adult rats exposed to low oxygen could include sleep apnea hyperoxia at birth. and ineffective responses to asphyxia. Bavis attributes much of his lab’s Preliminary data from the INBRE research progress to his INBRE funding. project studying adults led Dr. Bavis to Under the grant he was able to hire a hypothesize that changes in respiratory full-time technician who tripled the lab’s control are time-dependent, with productivity. His research assistant, periods when responses are actually Elizabeth Dmitrieff, had molecular enhanced before they are attenuated. biology skills and experience which This observation led to his AREA significantly advanced his hypotheses and grant, which will study the more short- enabled them to fine tune their protocols term consequences of hyperoxia on to be much more effective. INBRE J UNIOR FACULTY AND BATES COLLEGE newborns. The lab will use ventilation In addition the INBRE-equipped ASSISTANT PROFESSOR , R YAN BAVIS , P HD measurements and neurophysiological Bates College Imaging and Computing techniques to observe changes in Center has been a critical tool for the NBRE Junior Faculty Ryan Bavis, respiratory control over a range of Bavis lab. “We couldn’t do our nerve IAssistant Professor of Biology at postnatal age groups and to examine recording work without the microscope Bates College, was recently awarded an the underlying mechanisms for these in the Imaging Center,” Bavis says. “The Academic Enhancement Research Award changes. Imaging Center has been invaluable.” (AREA) from the National Institutes of Health. His research will study effects of high oxygen levels (hyperoxia) on early postnatal development of the respiratory control system. These experiments may provide clues to how supplemental oxygen given to infants in a neonatal intensive care unit affects them in the short term. Supplemental oxygen is a common therapy for infants born prematurely, but there is currently a lot of uncertainty about what therapeutic oxygen level is safe. The new line of research the Bavis lab will conduct under the grant complements his INBRE project examining the long-term effects of hyperoxia. In his INBRE research Bavis is studying how exposure to high oxygen at a young age changes molecular mech - anisms which affect adult physiology in the long term. One measurement his lab conducts is the size of the carotid body – the cell and nerve mass adjacent to the SIXTEEN STUDENTS FROM UM AINE - M ACHIAS , F ARMINGTON , AND PRESQUE ISLE SPENT THEIR SPRING carotid artery that detects oxygen levels BREAK AT MDIBL FOR AN INTENSIVE LABORATORY TRAINING COURSE . “M OLECULAR BIOLOGY in the blood. They have determined that RESEARCH TECHNIQUES ” WAS LED BY DAVID TOWLE , P HD. R ICH ROBINSON , P ROFESSOR OF the carotid body in a hyperoxia-exposed BIOLOGY AT UM AINE -F ARMINGTON ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE OUTREACH COURSE . 6 2009 Laboratory Short Courses IDeA Network xxxxxfxoxr xUxnxdxexrxgxrxaxdx uates of Biomedical

AT LEFT : INBRE O UTREACH CORE CO -D IRECTOR MICHAEL ReMCsKEReNAN aDISrCUcSSEShM AINEE ’Sxcellence WORKSHOP IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IMAGING JANUARY 26 - 27 TH , 2009 Research Institutions: HOST : MDI B IOLOGICAL LABORATORY , FOR COLBY COLLEGE STUDENTS Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory FACULTY : A NDREA TILDEN , P H.D. The Jackson Laboratory

Baccalaureate Institutions: Bates College MOLECULAR BIOLOGY RESEARCH TECHNIQUES Bowdoin College FEBRUARY 16 – F EBRUARY 20, 2009 Colby College College of the Atlantic HOST : MDI B IOLOGICAL LAB , FOR UM AINE - M ACHIAS , U MAINE - F ARMINGTON The University of Maine AND UM AINE - P RESQUE ISLE STUDENTS FACULTY : D AVID TOWLE , P H.D. Outreach Baccalaureate Institutions: University of Maine at Farmington University of Maine at Machias University of Maine at Presque Isle FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS OF MEMBRANE TRANSPORT FEBRUARY 28 – M ARCH 7, 2009 Maine INBRE Director: HOST : MDI B IOLOGICAL LAB , FOR UM AINE HONORS COLLEGE STUDENTS Patricia Hand, PhD FACULTY : D ENRY SATO PH.D., MDI B IOLOGICAL LAB , C OURSE DIRECTOR Maine INBRE Program Coordinator: SHARON ASHWORTH , P H.D, U NIVERSITY OF MAINE David Barnes, PhD JENNIFER BOMBERGER , P H.D, D ARTMOUTH COLLEGE KEITH HUTCHISON , P H.D, U NIVERSITY OF MAINE INBRE External Advisory Committee: Barbara Beltz, PhD, Chair CAROL KIM , P H.D, U NIVERSITY OF MAINE Christopher Bayne, PhD TONY PLANCHART , P H.D, MDIBL James Gentile, PhD John G. Hildebrand, PhD BRUCE STANTON , P H.D, D ARTMOUTH COLLEGE Lynette Hirschman, PhD Leonard I. Zon, MD

INBRE Steering Committee: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF CRUSTACEAN NEUROPEPTIDES Pamela Baker, PhD, Bates Patsy Dickinson, PhD, Bowdoin MARCH 7 – M ARCH 18, 2009 Mary Ann Handel, PhD, HOST : MDI B IOLOGICAL LABORATORY , FOR BOWDOIN STUDENTS The Jackson Laboratory Keith Hutchison, PhD, U of Maine FACULTY : P ATSY DICKINSON , P H.D., B OWDOIN COLLEGE Barbara Tennent, PhD, ANDREW CHRISTIE , P H.D., MDIBL The Jackson Laboratory Chris Petersen, PhD, College of the Atlantic Edward Yeterian, PhD, Colby

EVOLUTIONARY MOLECULAR GENETICS Core Directors: John Gregory, EdD MARCH 16 – M ARCH 27, 2009 Carolyn Mattingly, PhD HOST : MDI B IOLOGICAL LABORATORY , FOR COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC STUDENTS Michael McKernan David Towle, PhD FACULTY : C HARLES WRAY , P H.D., MDI B IOLOGICAL LABORATORY Charles Wray, PhD CHRISTOPHER PETERSEN , P H.D., C OLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC

NSuaptiponoarlt eCde bntye: r for Research Resources National Institutes of Health EXPERIMENTAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY MAY 10 – M AY 23, 2009 This publication was made possible by NIH HOST : MDI B IOLOGICAL LABORATORY , FOR BATES COLLEGE STUDENTS Grant Number P20 RR-016463 from the INBRE Program of the National Center for FACULTY : N ANCY KLECKNER , P H.D., B ATES COLLEGE Research Resources 7 Imaging Core at Access to Regional Core Facilities MDIBL Brings on New is Expanding

Core Director great advantage of the INBRE and COBRE programs to the eligible Astates is that it has given researchers the resources to build infrastructure. As a result, many more institutions have new cores and equipment – facilities that they often are capable of sharing with researchers outside the home institution. In 2007 the Vermont Genetics Network initiated a project to document regional core facilities which offer access or services to outside researchers. The database has now grown to include resources in sixteen states and Canada, and includes a description of each core’s particular services as well as the contact person for more information. Any researcher needing access to scientific services or equipment not available at their home institution should check to find nearby resources and http://vgn.uvm.edu/corefacilities/ expertise. Researchers should keep in mind that many core directors would like to consult with investigators before they are in need of services; often these experienced staff can help make sure experiments are designed to get the most useful results from various processes and equipment. Core Directors from around the region gathered in Vermont in October at the Northeast Regional Life Sciences Core Directors (NERLSCD) meeting. The focus of the conference was to share information on equipment and best practices, as well as strategies on how to make core facilities more widely accessible. Regional efforts are being made to avoid duplicating equipment and services by collaborating on shared facilities. Maine’s neighboring states of New Hampshire and Vermont offer over forty facility cores between them, located at the University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College and the University of Vermont. Over thirty ndrew Christie, PhD, joined the cores in nearby Massachusetts are also documented in the database. Astaff of the MDI Biological Maine itself lists eighteen core facilities in the regional database, located Laboratory (MDIBL) as a principal at The Jackson Laboratory, MDI Biological Laboratory, and the Maine investigator this fall. A Maine native and Medical Center Research Institute (a COBRE institution). Services at various graduate of Bowdoin College, Christie had sites include DNA sequencing, gene expression analysis, QPCR, been a seasonal investigator at MDIBL for bioinformatics and computational sciences, histopathology, microscopy, mass several years before joining the lab full-time. spectrometry and flow cytometry, mouse transgenics, reproductive services, He’s also the new director of MDIBL’s imaging, and more. Imaging Core, where he oversees more than Undergraduate INBRE partners also have many pieces of equipment for $1 million in state-of-the-art equipment, molecular biology, imaging and other techniques, but many of these resources including two confocal microscopes, image are not organized into formal “cores,” but are housed in departments or analysis computers and smaller microscope individual investigator’s laboratories. Bates College has developed one systems. centralized core facility in its Imaging and Computing Center which opened As a neuroscientist studying mechanisms in 2007. The center has been very successful at facilitating cross-disciplinary governing hormonal control of crustacean interaction and collaboration through the use of this shared facility, which has behavior, Christie himself is an expert user of become a hub for research and teaching that crosses departments. INBRE imaging technology. Some of his work researchers are welcome to use this and the many other resources housed involves the microdissection and visualization informally or independently at the undergraduate institutions, and can get of copepods that are barely 2 millimeters more information by contacting their INBRE Steering Committee member. long. Christie feels it is “an honor to serve as MAINE INBRE N EWS EDITOR : A IMÉE PICARD Director of the Imaging Core, because these MOUNT DESERT ISLAND BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY , sorts of centers provide such a vital resource P.O. B OX 35, S ALISBURY COVE , M AINE 04672. 207.288.3605 (V OICE ) to the community and a link between the different lab groups that use them. I’ll be 207.288.2130 (F AX ) interacting with other people, and by SUBMISSIONS OF NEWS OR PHOTOS ARE WELCOME , interacting and collaborating, trying to help AND MAY BE MAILED TO THE EDITOR AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS us all do better science.” OR SENT ELECTRONICALLY TO APICARD @MDIBL .ORG Who we are

he Maine IDeA Network of TBiomedical Research CONTACT INFORMATION: Excellence (INBRE) is an Maine INBRE NCRR/NIH-supported network of MOUNT DESERT ISLAND ten Maine institutions including BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY Mount Desert Island Biological P.O. Box 35 Salisbury Cove, ME 04672 Laboratory (lead institution), Bates www.mdibl.org College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, College of the Atlantic, The Jackson Laboratory, and The WWW .MAINEIDEA .NET University of Maine. Maine INBRE outreach institutions include The Patricia H. Hand, Ph.D. University of Maine at Farmington Maine INBRE and The University of Maine at Principal Investigator Machias. 207/288-3605 (tel) The overall goal of the Maine 207/288-2130 (fax) INBRE is to strengthen Maine’s email: [email protected] capacity to conduct NIH competitive Jerilyn M. Bowers biomedical research. Maine’s Director of Public Affairs INBRE provides research support 207-288-3147 (tel) and core facilities to junior faculty, 207-288-2130 (fax) creates research and training oppor - email: [email protected] tunities for undergraduates, serves as a pipeline for undergraduate Maine’s INBRE is supported students to pursue health research by NIH Grant Number P20 careers and enhances the scientific RR-016463 from the INBRE and technical knowledge of Maine’s Program of the National workforce. Center for Research Resources