Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering – U�� News

U�� doctoral enrollment reaches record high for 10th year; five students share why they chose ��

amanda.lozier — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:19:19 +0000

From discovering how fine-motor skills shape early reading to helping farmers hedge against drought, University of �� doctoral students doggedly pursue solutions to wicked problems.

These ambitious learners came to ��’s learner-centered R1 to advance meaningful work as part of a tight-knit community — one that continues to grow.

According to the Graduate School, U��’s doctoral enrollment reached a record high for the 10th consecutive year, driven by top-tier research opportunities, a culture of mutual growth and highly engaged faculty mentorship.

U��’s enrollment census shows doctoral enrollment has increased 6% since last year and 24% since 2020, reflecting a well-established reputation for research excellence and productivity — affirmed earlier this year when the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education renewed U��’s R1 status.

With 92% of the Pine Tree State’s Ph.D.s conferred by U�� last year, this growth is a boost for ��’s innovation-driven sectors. But behind these numbers is a doctoral community powered by purpose.

Students choose U�� because they want to take part in groundbreaking innovation and solve real problems, said Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research and dean of the �� College of Engineering and Computing.

“Students want purpose, connection and mentors who are invested in their success,” she said. They want experiences that prepare them for their future careers, and they find them here.”

And behind every data point are individual students — each with a distinct sense of purpose — whose paths led them to Orono.

Scribbles versus screens

Courtesy of Kristen Braun.

Kristen Braun has been teaching first graders on ��’s coast for ten years. A few years ago, she noticed a pattern: students who struggled with handwriting also struggled with reading.

“People are quick to blame COVID,” said Braun, who grew up in Bucksport, ��, and teaches in the Mount Desert Island school system, “but reading scores started declining around 2010. The Common Core standards that were introduced at that time didn’t include handwriting, but it did include keyboarding.”

Braun’s doctoral work examines what happens when children put pencil to paper. After her students head home, Braun dives into her research exploring the connections between fine-motor development, memory, attention and early reading.

“When we put a pen to paper, so many areas of our brains light up that simply don’t activate when we’re scrolling or keyboarding,” she said. “We can’t ignore that.”

The U�� alum returned for her Ph.D. because she wanted to stay rooted in the community she cares about while advancing research that can improve literacy outcomes in the state.

“I’ve been so impressed with U��,” she said. “My professors are incredibly supportive and always looking for ways to expand my experience. I feel genuinely cared for.”

She hopes that one day, pediatricians will give families tools to help toddlers develop fine motor skills so they come to school more ready to start writing.

“If we want strong readers, we need to invest in our youngest learners,” she said. “That’s part of our social contract.”

The ideal mix for impact

Growing up in Bangladesh in South Asia, Kallol Barai saw firsthand how unpredictable environmental conditions could threaten farmers’ livelihoods. He wanted to give farmers high-tech tools to help care for their crops, and found the unique combination of expertise he needed to develop these ideas at U��.

“Precision agriculture changes outcomes,” he said. “My advisors have the expertise in plant physiology and remote sensing I need to develop tools that will help growers improve their yields.”

At U��, Barai is developing technology that will give wild blueberry growers real-time insights to manage irrigation, fertilization and environmental stresses.

“The partnerships between researchers and growers create an environment where science can have direct, immediate impact,” he said. “The U�� community is helpful and friendly, making �� feel like a second home.”

Barai is part of a growing contingent of international and out-of-state doctoral students at U��. This year, applications from outside �� reached an all-time high, reflecting the university’s expanding reputation for research opportunities.

Staying for the community

Courtesy of Jordan Miner

Jordan Miner of Baldwin, ��, got her start in research as an undergraduate at U��, where more than a quarter of bachelor’s degree students were involved with research last year. She discovered she loved being in the lab, and stayed.

“What brought me back to U�� was the research atmosphere,” she said. “We have this tight-knit community of grad students and faculty. We do potlucks and people check-in with each other.”

Now as a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, Miner studies how breast cancer progresses. These findings will eventually help doctors know which patients are more likely to have aggressive forms of cancer, and customize their treatment accordingly.

U�� also launched Miner beyond her home state. At her adviser’s encouragement, she applied for a NASA internship — and got it.

“I’m from a small town, and you don’t always know what’s possible until someone pushes you to step out of your comfort zone,” says Miner, who was recently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. “That’s what U�� has done for me.”

Connected for discovery

Courtesy of Kyle Oliveira.

At U��’s marine lab on the Damariscotta River, Kyle Oliveira is finding out if scientists can learn more about great white sharks from traces of DNA they shed in their environment, also known as eDNA.

“I want to know whether eDNA can tell a full story about habitat suitability,” he said. “If we understand where sharks are likely to be and why, that can help both science and management.”

Oliviera, who is co-advised by researchers at U�� and the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, grew up in New Jersey but was drawn to �� by the university’s robust collaborations.

“U��’s marine research network is unmatched,” said Oliveira, who received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “I wanted a program where I could combine fieldwork, modeling and community impact, and this was the place.”

Oliveira speaks just as enthusiastically about the people around him.

“The grad students in the School of Marine Sciences are second to none,” he said. “Even though I live on the coast, I feel closely connected with them. People really look out for each other.”

U�� also gave him a chance to build practical skills, earning both his divemaster certification and scientific diving qualifications.

“The flexibility here has been huge,” he said. “It’s a place where opportunities open up if you want them.”

There’s no place like ��

After years of working in government and policy roles in Virginia, Gianna DeJoy came to U�� seeking to understand why so many rural communities struggle to access maternal health care.

“My son’s birth made me think about two things at once,” the Blue Hill native said. “I wanted to raise my family in ��, and I wanted to do work that would make him proud.”

Her research is rooted in what she started as an undergrad, when she interned with Planned Parenthood and designed a project on how ��’s islanders access care. She expected to focus on contraception and family planning; what she found surprised her.

“What women wanted to talk about most was obstetric care — where they were going to give birth, how far they had to travel, whether services would still be available,” said DeJoy, who earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Richmond and her master’s at Columbia University.

Her dissertation examines changing access to maternity care in ��, New Brunswick and northeastern North America, exploring how environmental and policy shifts shape where and how people can receive care.

U�� was the only place she wanted to pursue this work.

“I wanted to be embedded in the communities I was studying,” she said. “And �� is such a special place. If you are in another part of the world and run into someone from ��, there’s an immediate connection. I don’t see people from other states hugging some random person. I think we’re kind of bonded by the seasonality of life here.”

Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu

Josh Hamilton: Driven by loss, exploring new ways to treat and prevent cancer��

amanda.lozier — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 17:46:45 +0000

Near the end of high school, Josh Hamilton of Alton, �� lost a close friend to bone cancer, and early in his undergraduate years, he lost his stepfather to pancreatic cancer. Driven to help mitigate future cancer deaths, he is researching ways to improve early detection, prevention and treatment.

A University of �� Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, Hamilton’s work focuses on breast and pancreatic cancer by developing novel image analysis techniques to quantify the tissue structure that surrounds tumors, a project he began during his master’s program at U�� and has continued into his doctoral research.

Through his research, Hamilton works to better understand how the tissue around tumors affects cancer growth. He uses computer programming, image analysis and machine learning to study medical images, borrowing ideas from physics to look at patterns on different scales.

His passion for cancer research first took shape while studying bioengineering, though the decision to tackle cancer stemmed from his personal experience.

“I found bioengineering first, and then realized, due to trauma, I wanted to make sure people didn’t have to feel that way because of something that they can’t control,” Hamilton said.

Working with his doctoral advisor, Andre Khalil, on analysis and physics, and with his former master’s degree advisor, Karissa Tilbury, on biology and imaging, Hamilton studies slides of tissue and breast scans to find ways to detect and potentially treat cancers earlier. His early work on examining collagen in pancreatic tumors, inspired by personal loss, set the stage for his future research on early cancer detection.

Hamilton has also participated in developing tools to make breast cancer detection more efficient. Alongside fellow Ph.D. student Jeremy Juybari and others, Hamilton played a role in the development of the Context Guided Segmentation Network (CGS-Net), an AI system that mimics how pathologists study tissue slides to improve the speed and accuracy of breast cancer diagnoses. He describes his research approach as big-picture, complementing the detail-oriented style of Juybari, with whom he has formed a long-standing friendship.

“I think one reason Jeremy and I work so well together is that we approach problems differently,” Hamilton said. “He’s extremely detail-oriented, while I’m more of a big-picture person. He thinks bottom-up, I think top-down, and that balance has made our research and friendship really strong. He’s the last person still here from when I joined the lab, and I’m probably closer to him outside of work than I am at work.”

A senior member of the CompuMAINE lab, Hamilton also mentors undergraduate, master’s and fellow Ph.D. students while collaborating closely with Khalil and Tilbury. Outside the lab, Hamilton is deeply involved in teaching and mentoring. He recently took on full lecturer responsibilities for courses in medical image analysis.

“I’m teaching Dr. Khalil’s medical image analysis courses while he’s on sabbatical, so it’s just me now,” Hamilton said. “I’m not the teacher’s assistant or the tutor; I’m the teacher. That was a big milestone for me, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I think you need empathy to be a good teacher, and I love seeing that light bulb moment when someone finally gets a concept.”

Hamilton first came to U�� as an undergraduate in 2017 because of scholarships, such as the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Scholarship, and programs that allowed him to combine his interests in music and bioengineering. He has stayed for his master’s and Ph.D., drawn to the opportunities of conducting cutting-edge research in a smaller, rural university environment.

Outside of research and teaching, Hamilton maintains an active extracurricular life. A percussionist, he was formerly part of U��’s pep band. He is also a competitive “Super Smash Bros. Melee” player, organizing tournaments and managing the state community.

It’s Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and as Hamilton works to develop tools to detect this disease faster, anyone interested in learning more about it and contributing to the fight against it can visit the website.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Amanda Ignacz: Strengthening neuromuscular disease research through NIH award

mike.kirby — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 19:16:19 +0000

The National Institutes of Health awarded University of �� Ph.D. candidate Amanda Ignacz the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award for her work with neuromuscular disease.

This nationally competitive award honors and invests in pre-doctoral students by helping them obtain research training while conducting their dissertation research.

Enrolled in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering’s biomedical science program and advised by Clarissa Henry, director of the Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE), Ignacz’ research focusses on a zebrafish model for dystroglycanopathies, a rare form of neuromuscular disease.

Her own interest in neuromuscular disease and its progression stems from the loss of her younger brother, who passed away from complications with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Through her research, she hopes to help identify driving mechanisms of neuromuscular disease progression and develop therapies that can improve the lives and outcomes of people diagnosed with it.

While the award is a recognition of Ignacz’ potential as a researcher, it will also help fund training opportunities and attendance to conferences, such as the Gordon Research Conferences and a Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinical Research Conference.��

Read the full story, written by Daniel Timmermann, on the U�� Research News website.

Grant renews and expands biomedical network integral to U�� research��

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:42:39 +0000

To increase the faculty and research base in biomedical sciences and engineering, the University of �� has been a research institution partner in the �� IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence () and a source of graduate students for the future of biomedical research. As a partner, U�� biomedical faculty have also benefited from INBRE funding undergraduate research in labs and providing authentic research experiences to undergraduates.��

MDI Biological Laboratory recently announced a $19.4 million federal award that will propel INBRE into its next five years of success. Led by MDI Bio Lab, the network provides training, research experiences and financial support to help young ��rs play a bigger role in today’s biomedical revolution, qualifying them for careers in a high-paying field that is making rapid advances in human health.

Formally announced by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in a celebratory event on Tuesday, Aug. 13�� at MDI Bio Lab, the award was made by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). It renews the network’s funding for five years, while enlarging its scope to a total of 17 institutions.

��“In a state like �� with a small population and a vast geography, it’s our willingness to work together that makes us competitive in the global biomedical world, that helps us to punch above our weight,” said Hermann Haller, MDI Bio Lab’s president. “The �� INBRE is our connective tissue, an extraordinarily collaborative network that is significantly raising the biomedical research and training capacity of the entire state.”��

��The �� INBRE:��

supports early-career bioscience faculty in �� with research grants, staff, lab equipment and other resources they need to compete for larger federal grants. More than 60 faculty have been supported by the INBRE;

has provided more than 2,800 college students with genuine biomedical research experiences and access to state-of-the-art equipment through intensive courses, workshops and paid fellowships, transforming their goals and helping to build a technically skilled biomedical workforce for ��;

invests in shared, state-of-the-art science infrastructure at participating institutions, from advanced gene editing and data science systems to leading-edge 3D microscopy, building the state’s overall research capacity and standing as a home for world-class science.

“You don’t need to be in Silicon Valley, the Research Triangle, or Boston to make a difference. Remarkable research is taking place right here in ��,” said Collins. “The �� INBRE is helping to make it possible.”

New network members include the University of Southern ��, the ��Health Institute for Research, and the University of �� at Augusta. It already includes the University of ��, U�� Honors College, U�� system campuses in Fort Kent, Presque Isle, Farmington, Machias, Southern �� Community College, College of the Atlantic, the University of New England, Colby, Bates and Bowdoin colleges, The Jackson Laboratory and MDI Bio Lab.

The program so far has directly invested $87+ million in ��, with early-career faculty it’s supported winning $100+ million more in other research grants. 90% of INBRE undergraduates have gone on to pursue higher education and careers in health-related fields, and 21% stayed in �� to do so. Over the last five years, the number of science majors at participating schools has increased by 65%.

Contact: Fred Bever, fbever@mdibl.org

U��’s surveying program receives equipment loan valued at $1.7 million

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:00:01 +0000

The University of ��’s Surveying Engineering Technology (SVT) program has received an equipment loan valued at $1.7 million from Topcon Positioning Systems Inc., an industry-leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of precision measurement and workflow solutions headquartered in Livermore, California.

The university’s SVT program, which has the largest number of undergraduate students per faculty in the �� College of Engineering and Computing (MCEC), will receive 12 robotic total stations (electronic/optical instruments for surveying and building construction), 12 digital levels,12 multi-constellation GPS receivers, tablets, software and accessories at no cost. As part of the agreement, Topcon will maintain, update and replace the equipment (if necessary) every three years. This agreement was made to ensure the program’s students receive instruction with the latest surveying technology as part of the Topcon Learn/Apply/Build (LAB) initiative.

“We are excited to initiate the relationship with the University of ��. It is our latest Learn/Apply/Build investment, partnering with leading survey educational programs around the world to provide state-of-the-art technology to advance learning,” said Ron Oberlander, vice president of Topcon global professional services. “The University of �� program has the potential to support the education of surveying engineers across the globe. The world needs more surveyors from a diverse range of backgrounds, and we are delighted that our support will help this become a reality. Surveying students learning on campus and online will benefit from having access to the latest technology and software to support their studies.”

Because surveyors make precise measurements to determine property boundaries, understanding how to use the equipment to make those measurements is a primary function of the career.

“Surveyors are in charge of searching for spatial truth. A surveyor is kind of a detective,” said Ray Hintz, professor of surveying engineering technology.

In addition to helping those students complete the program in person, this equipment supports SVT online education, enrollment for which has increased by over 130% since 2019. Providing access to the latest surveying technology is part of the program’s strategic effort to recruit students.

“The volume of equipment helps us be more efficient in teaching labs,” said Rich Vannozzi, assistant professor in surveying engineering technology. “For 150 years, if you took a survey class, you worked in a little group of three or four people with one piece of equipment. So say you had a two-hour lab and four people, everybody got a half hour with their hands on the equipment. What we found out is that if we ran the labs more frequently, and every student had a piece of equipment of their own for the whole two hours — they had their hands on it — they got four times as much time and they were 100% engaged.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of surveyors is projected to grow 5% from 2022–32, faster than the average for all occupations. With fewer than nationwide and many expected to retire in coming years, the demand for surveyors is only expected to grow.

“There are two phenomena that are driving a critical need for surveyors nationally,” Vannozzi said. “One is aging out of the profession. The other thing driving the demand is that we need educated surveyors. There was a time 40 years ago when you could enter this profession and have a successful career with a minimal amount of formal education. That is not realistic any more. If you want to have a successful 40-year career as a land surveyor, you will need a bachelor-degree-level education.”

Joe McNichols, assistant professor in surveying engineering technology, will organize and manage the equipment. A ribbon cutting will be held in the spring to celebrate the donation and the updated equipment storage room.

Contact: Shelby Hartin, shelby.hartin@maine.edu

State’s research community to gather at U��’s second annual �� Research Symposium on Biomedical Science and Engineering

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 18:42:50 +0000

The University of �� Institute of Medicine announced that it is hosting the second annual �� Research Symposium on Biomedical Science and Engineering from Oct. 25–27. Events will take place at a variety of locations on the university’s flagship campus in Orono. Partner organizations participating in the symposium include The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), MDI Biological Laboratory, ��Health, Northern Light Health, the University of New England, the University of Southern �� and the Roux Institute.

“This three-day gathering features scientists who live and work in ��,” said Cecile Ferguson, a program manager at the U�� Institute of Medicine. “It’s a great way, in a short period of time, to understand, experience and appreciate the full spectrum of advanced research that’s being conducted in our state. The new knowledge being generated through local research efforts is helping to create the jobs of the future and improve �� citizens’ quality of life.”

The first day of the event will be divided into two educational tracks. Track A, at the Wells Conference Center, will be devoted to speakers participating in the 18th Annual University of �� Clinical Geriatrics Colloquium. Educators and practitioners from across the state will address topics related to aging at this academic conference. Included among the invited speakers are Dr. Cliff Singer, chief or the Center for Geriatric and Mental Health at Acadia Hospital. He will be the featured speaker at the U�� Institute of Medicine’s Distinguished Mental Health Lecture. This year’s topic is the Impact of Alzheimer disease in older adults. Dr. Amanda Gesselman from the Kinsey Institute and more than a dozen other experts in various age-related disciplines will also be making presentations.

Track B at the Collins Center for the Arts that day will be focusing on mental health. Topics will include presentations on Alzheimer’s Disease, youth suicide, rural mental health, religious leaders’ mental well-being, psychosis specialty care and much more.

Research related to medicine and health care will be the focus of two more tracks open to attendees as part of the symposium’s second day at the Wells Conference Center on Thursday, Oct. 26. Track A will be devoted to oncology, translational medicine and an industry workshop. Track B will include research into the microscopic aspects of cells and other objects that cannot be seen with the naked eye (microscopy), cell signaling, kidney health and pathogen research.

The �� Research Symposium will continue at the Wells Conference Center on Oct. 27 in Room 1. Symposium presentations on Friday will be devoted to clinical research, rural medicine and public health.

In the Conference Center’s Rooms 2 and 3, the �� Rural GME Education (MERGE) Collaborative will host its first Graduate Medical Education (GME) event devoted to rural health care. The MERGE Collaborative is part of a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen rural ��’s health care workforce and delivery system. As part of this effort, the collaborative is promoting rural elective rotations for graduate medical education resident physicians. Sessions will include topics on teaching techniques for graduate medical education; rural workforce pressures in ��; diversity, equity and inclusion in rural spaces and more.

As the MERGE Collaborative event is taking place, the Collins Center will be the location for a series of research symposium presentations about artificial intelligence applications in health, breast cancer tissue imaging, proteins and cell signaling, bone marrow, muscular dystrophy research, osteoporosis, dementia, obesity and diabetes, to name just a few.

“This symposium showcases the advanced cutting-edge research taking place in ��’s public and private academic institutions, health care systems and private industries as it relates to biological and physiological disciplines, medicine, biomedical engineering and data science,” said Tanya Pinkham, assistant director for development and administration at the U�� Institute of Medicine. “This event allows �� scientists to network and share information in ways that will benefit their own research and the pursuit of knowledge being undertaken by others.”

October 25–26 will also include separate poster sessions and receptions from 4:30–6:30 p.m. in the Hudson Museum. During these sessions, posters summarizing research conducted by college faculty members, undergraduate students and graduate students will be on display. Student researchers will be standing next to their posters to answer questions from the public and judges. Judging will be conducted by faculty members from multiple universities, as well as industry leaders from biomedical and health care organizations.

One of the individuals who will have a poster on display is U�� graduate student Lucas Bennett, a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry and molecular biology. According to Bennett, his research benefited from being able to work with a fluorescence photoactivation localization microscopy (FPALM) microscope.

“While there aren’t very many of these types of microscopes in the world, there is one at the University of ��. And the professor who developed this research technique, Dr. Samuel Hess, also teaches here. I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to do this specific type of research anywhere else in the world,” Bennett said. “Being able to participate in groundbreaking research like this makes every day an adventure in scientific discovery.”

Sponsors for the second annual �� Research Symposium on Biomedical Science and Engineering include the Bioscience Association of �� (BIOME), U��’s Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE), MDI Bioscience, IDEXX, the �� Technology Institute (MTI) and SimKit. Visit the symposium website for more information.

Contact: Eric Gordon, office: 207.581.3745, cell: 207.298.7254; eric.b.gordon@maine.edu

Warming waters could make bass more aggressive toward salmon, U�� study finds

Thu, 04 May 2023 17:42:14 +0000

Non-native smallmouth bass are more aggressive toward endangered juvenile Atlantic salmon and more voraciously eat local food supplies at higher temperatures, according to a University of �� study.

As a result of warming waters, more non-native warmwater fish species are invading watershed habitats, disrupting local freshwater food webs and competing with native species for limited resources. The combination of the two can be deadly for endangered fish in ��, particularly the Atlantic salmon, which, in addition to their intrinsic value, is important to regional Indigenous cultures, recreation opportunities and the health of freshwater ecosystems in the state.

Nicole Ramberg-Pihl led a team of researchers during her Ph.D. in ecology and environmental sciences at the University of �� in an experiment to observe the interaction between Atlantic salmon and smallmouth bass at different temperatures. The scientists collected fish from rivers and hatcheries across �� and put them in tanks at the Aquaculture Research Center — some segregated by species, and others combined — at two different temperatures, 18 and 21 degrees Celsius, and filmed the fishes’ behavior.

In reviewing the footage, the researchers found that salmon ate less in the presence of smallmouth bass in general, but ate even less at the higher temperature, 21 degrees Celsius. They also observed that smallmouth bass were most aggressive at 21 degrees Celsius, particularly when there were salmon present.

“Our cameras provided a top-down view of the experimental tanks and this allowed us to observe aggressive interactions, such as chases (where a fish swims after another) and charges (where a fish quickly darts toward another) between individuals of both species at 18 and 21 degrees Celsius. We observed increased levels of aggression in smallmouth bass when salmon were present and when water temperature was higher,” says Ramberg-Pihl.

These findings illustrate the potential for invasive species like smallmouth bass to outcompete native salmonids for resources, especially under the warmer conditions predicted with climate change. The results could inform conservation efforts of the endangered Atlantic salmon in ��.

“We found that bass are bullies when it is hot,” says Ramberg-Pihl. “Not only are factors such as temperature and food availability important for salmon performance, but smallmouth bass could outcompete Atlantic salmon in warmer temperature scenarios.”

The was published in the journal Ecology and Freshwater Fish on March 22, 2023.

Contact: Sam Schipani, samantha.schipani@maine.edu

Henry featured on �� Public discussing the growth of biomedical research in ��

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:29:01 +0000

Clarissa Henry, professor of biological sciences and director of Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering at the University of ��, was featured in ’s show �� Calling discussing the growth of biomedical research and education in ��.

Media report on $11.3 million U�� grant from NIH

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:13:16 +0000

(Channel 5 in Bangor) and (Fox 22/ABC 7 in Bangor) reported that the National Institutes of Health awarded the University of �� with a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) award for $11.3 million to support biomedical research. The COBRE award will focus on research about the mechanisms that regulate cellular behavior in response to cues from outside the cells, from the impact of persistent viral infections to muscle cell development. (NBC 29 in Charlottesville, Virginia) shared the WABI report.��

U�� awarded $11.3 million from NIH to support biomedical research

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:00:23 +0000

Editor’s note: This story was updated March 31, 2023.

The University of �� has received a $11.3 million Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support interdisciplinary biomedical research.

The COBRE award will focus on research about the mechanisms that regulate cellular behavior in response to cues from outside the cells, from the impact of persistent viral infections on cell systems to the mechanisms that lead to muscle cell development. The research has the potential to inform future treatment of infectious diseases, neuromuscular disorders and muscle aging and regeneration.

“U�� is the only institution in the state that grants doctoral degrees in biomedical science and biomedical engineering through its Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering,” says Kody Varahramyan, vice president for research and dean of the U�� Graduate School. “This COBRE, which will be U��’s first, will transform U��’s ability to serve as the academic leader for biomedical research in �� and feed the growing biomedical research industry in ��. This research will elucidate basic biological mechanisms underlying cell behavior and also has the potential to inform the future treatment of infectious diseases, neuromuscular disorders, and muscle aging and regeneration.”

The COBRE award is led by Clarissa Henry, professor of biological sciences in the School of Biology and Ecology and director of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering at U��.

“This award will transform the landscape of biomedical research at the University of �� and foster innovation in the life sciences statewide,” Henry says.

It will primarily support five research projects led by early career investigators from U�� and the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, including U��’s Melissa Maginnis, Jared Talbot, Joshua Kelley and Ben King, as well as at the MDI Bio Lab.

“The MDI Biological Laboratory is very pleased to collaborate on this ��-based research initiative,” says MDI Bio Lab President Herman Haller. “Romain Madelaine’s work on the cellular mechanisms of muscle regeneration holds great promise for improving the way we age. The COBRE award will accelerate his discoveries and more by university faculty and students.”

As program director for the COBRE award, Henry will mentor the research team as they develop their projects.

The award also aims to bolster U��’s ability to serve as the academic leader for biomedical research in the state and feed its growing biomedical research industry through the Institute of Medicine and College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture. For example, this award will support the creation of a Microscopy and Image Analysis Core headed by Rob Wheeler, associate professor of microbiology, that will provide access to super-resolution confocal microscopy and support unbiased image analysis.

The award will also support burgeoning biomedical researchers through assistantships in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE). Currently, U�� is the only institution in the state that grants doctoral degrees in biomedical science and biomedical engineering.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this grant is the explicit integration of research with training of the next generation of biomedical scientists,” says Henry. “The University of �� has a phenomenal cluster of early career biomedical faculty and I am thrilled that this award will propel their research careers, increase campus and statewide collaboration, and add meaningful undergraduate and graduate research experiences.”

The award starts April 5, 2023.

Contact: Sam Schipani, samantha.schipani@maine.edu

Wujcik to present at 94th New England Complex Fluids Workshop

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 17:02:23 +0000

Evan Wujcik, professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, will deliver a keynote presentation at the 94th New England Complex Fluids (NECF) Workshop, hosted at the University of Rhode Island on March 17, 2023. His talk: “Investigation of Polymer Systems and their Composites for Advanced Functional Materials.”

Learn more on the , or the .

Ortega-Jimenez presented at APS March Meeting in Las Vegas

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:02:53 +0000

Victor Ortega-Jimenez, assistant professor of integrative avian biology and biomechanics, presented at the American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 6. Ortega-Jimenez’s presentation, “Fatal attraction: Electrostatic forces pull jumping nematodes directly to their charged prey,” was with former colleagues at Georgia Tech, Sunny Kumar and Saad Bhamla.

Alaba honored at BHBS 9th Biennial Conference in Tampa

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:55:36 +0000

Tolu Esther Alaba, Ph.D. student in the Graduate School of Biological Science and Engineering at the University of ��, received the Junior Investigator Speaker Award and third place Poster Award at the Berry Health Benefits Symposium (BHBS) Ninth Biennial Conference in Tampa, Florida for her work entitled “Phenolic acids from wild blueberry facilitate wound healing through vascular remodeling.”

U�� researcher explores issues with blood pressure measurement in the dental office

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 16:12:20 +0000

In recent years, health care professionals and patients have become concerned that blood pressure, as traditionally measured in the medical clinic, is not done correctly. That includes blood pressure measurement in a dental office, where it is equally important that it be done correctly, according to University of �� researchers.

Merrill Elias, U�� emeritus professor of psychology and emeritus cooperating professor of biomedical sciences and engineering, and Amanda Goodell, a retired research associate, both researchers affiliated with the , have studied the use of the automated wrist cuff blood pressure measurement system for routine assessment in a dental office. The wrist cuff measurement is somewhat less accurate than the arm cuff measurement system, according to the researchers, but can be adequate if used properly.

Elias and Goodall have written two journal articles to provide evidence that wrist cuff measurement, as taken in the dental office, is often not used properly: “,” and, with Adam Davey, “.”��

that includes a demonstration of the proper way to measure blood pressure with an automated wrist cuff device, and suggests some ways of achieving more accurate blood pressure measurement. Elias’ views about how blood pressure should be measured in the dental office are solely his and are not recommendations by U�� or any other organization with which he is associated.��

U��, University of Arkansas researchers collaborate to identify medical foods that lower homocysteine and blood pressure

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 16:45:36 +0000

Ten million individuals in the United States have drug-resistant hypertension, defined as hypertension not effectively managed with three or more antihypertensive drugs, including a diuretic, according to .

, Merrill F. Elias from the University of �� and Dr. Craig J. Brown from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences advocate for lowering homocysteine as a means of lowering blood pressure and as a tool for better managing of treatment-resistant hypertension. They also identify three FDA-approved medical foods that achieve the goal of a single product, which may be used for lowering homocysteine and stroke risk, and may also further lower blood pressure.

Homocysteine is an amino acid with significant toxicity. Vitamins B2, B6, B12 and folate convert homocysteine into more beneficial substances for use in the body. High levels of homocysteine (≥ 10µmol/L) are observed in persons with deficiencies of these vitamins or inherited impairments of their vitamin metabolism.

Untreated, high levels of homocysteine increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, dementia, kidney disease, memory loss and early death.

In their editorial, Elias, U�� professor of psychology and director of the �� Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS), and Brown, adjunct professor of ophthalmology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, review the literature indicating that administration of vitamin B2, vitamin B6, L-methylfolate, and vitamin B12 lower homocysteine, and the risk of stroke. However, an optimal combination is not specified in the literature for safety and effectiveness, which could be combined into a single pill or capsule.

A single pill or capsule is important to patients and physicians who may not be well trained in nutrition or who may not have time to sort through multiple separate vitamins. Moreover, patients taking multiple drugs (e.g., in treatment-resistant hypertension) would be helped if the number of pills to be taken daily could be minimized.

The issue has now been addressed in the paper by Elias and Brown in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension: .” The researchers identify three FDA-approved medical foods — Metanx, Cerefolin NAC, and Ocufolin — that achieve the goal of a single product, which may be used for lowering homocysteine and stroke risk, and may also further lower blood pressure.

Medical Foods are foods specially formulated and intended for the dietary management of a disease that has distinctive nutritional needs that cannot be met by normal diet alone.

Metanx, Cerefolin NAC, and Ocufolin are all proven to lower homocysteine. Ocufolin has the most extensive combination of vitamins and antioxidants that play roles in the reduction of blood pressure. Thus, Elias, who is also emeritus cooperating professor in the U�� Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, and Brown say, physicians and health care providers have prescribable products at hand that can be used to lower homocysteine, stroke risk, and further lower BP. In addition, studies have shown that hypertensive patients receiving extra folate have a 12% reduction in stroke.

More information about homocysteine as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and lowered cognition is available at , and .

Contact: Merrill Elias, mfelias@maine.edu

BDN, Paper Advance share White profile

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 15:36:41 +0000

The and shared a profile of Liza White, a University of �� Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering investigating new uses for these paper mill products, which may open new markets and support places like her hometown of Rumford. “It’s nice to be able to explore using paper in different ways than we’ve always thought of. As we’re moving more toward digital, there’s more stress for paper companies. Being able to explore different avenues in which we can use traditional, well-established methods for other things really is compelling to me,” White says.

Liza White: Engineering new applications for paper mill products

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 15:18:46 +0000

Growing up in Rumford, ��, Liza White learned the extent to which paper manufacturers contribute to the rural economies in which they operate. Residents would regularly say “paper is money” in relation to the mill’s importance; they would celebrate its successes and shudder when it struggled.

Changes in global demand have brought both economic uncertainty and opportunity to ��’s pulp and paper industry. Now as a University of �� Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, White is investigating new uses for these companies’ products, which may open new markets and support places like her hometown.

In collaboration with U�� biomedical engineering associate professor Caitlin Howell, White leads multiple studies into possible biomedical applications for products manufactured by Sappi North America, which own and operate the Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, �� and the Westbrook Mill in Westbrook, ��.

“It’s nice to be able to explore using paper in different ways than we’ve always thought of,” says White, who also is a student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering. “As we’re moving more toward digital, there’s more stress for paper companies. Being able to explore different avenues in which we can use traditional, well-established methods for other things really is compelling to me.”

White’s primary research with Sappi involves determining whether the film that it manufactures for imprinting texture patterns onto textiles can be used for water quality testing. She and Howell are working collaboratively with machine learning and water quality assessment expert Amy Mueller, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northeastern University, as well as her Ph.D. student Albert Navato. The project is supported by a joint seed grant from U�� and Northeastern.

The clear film can diffract a direct source of light, which then takes the form of a rainbow. White theorizes that when contaminated water droplets interact with the film, the rainbow would change in various ways, such as in color concentration and intensity. Exactly how the rainbow transforms would be determined by the specific contaminants, she says. The extent of contamination and specific pollutants could then be identified by taking and examining photographs of the rainbow spectra.

If successful, this process could reduce the cost and time for water testing by allowing municipalities, government agencies and other organizations to perform it in-house, instead of sending samples to a lab. White says she hopes to eventually develop sensor technology and artificial intelligence that could eliminate the need for sample collection all together by testing the water on-site, analyzing it and sharing results with users.

Using a seed grant from NASA through the �� Space Grant Consortium, White also is studying how this application could be used for hydroponics and growing plants in space.

“This technology itself has multiple applications, and we’re just really exploring how this texture interacts with different contaminants in different ways to actually see what the end application could really be. Because there are a lot of different ways we could go with this,” White says.

White has been studying at U�� since 2017. As an undergraduate majoring in biomedical engineering, she didn’t know exactly what to study until she listened to a guest presentation by Howell about her research in an introductory biomedical engineering course taught by Michael Mason that year. At that moment, White knew she wanted to pursue a biomedical engineering degree and work in Howell’s lab.

Since 2018, White has worked on several projects. She collected data for an initiative to improve sample handling and manipulation using folded paper with liquid-infused polymer surfaces. As a graduate student, she worked on a project to develop a novel microfluidic water purification system, which also involved Sappi.

It was Howell who motivated her to pursue a master’s degree at first, then convinced her to switch to a Ph.D. program. As another researcher from a small town in ��, White says Howell inspires her to work hard in her research and shows her what she is capable of achieving.

“All of Dr. Howell’s projects, I feel, are really interesting,” White says. “I don’t think there’s a project that she does that I don’t love.”

When she isn’t conducting research, White works as a per diem emergency medical technician for Northern Light Medical Transport and Emergency Care and volunteers with the University Volunteer Ambulance Corps. During her undergraduate studies, she joined the Phi Mu sorority and served as its president for one year, and played intramural sports.

Throughout much of her collegiate career, White has also worked with the �� College Circle, an organization that encourages and helps youth from rural communities pursue higher education, including sharing her experiences with secondary students in Rumford.

“I am going to visit my hometown in January to talk to some middle school students about STEM, and specifically to show them that paper can be used in other ways. The hope is to inspire students to want to explore STEM more” White says. “In rural ��, not a lot of students get pushed to go to college. They don’t always see a need for it. I want to show them that it is possible, and that their parents don’t need to make a bunch of money to go to college.”

After she earns her Ph.D. in 2025, White says she hopes to work in industry-related research and development.

“I’m very open to most opportunities,” she says. “All I care about is that what I’m doing makes people’s lives better.”

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

New liquid-coated air filters can improve early detection, analysis of airborne pathogens

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:59:39 +0000

Researchers from the University of �� and University of Massachusetts Amherst have designed new liquid-coated air filters that allow for improved early detection and analysis of airborne bacteria and viruses, including the one that causes COVID-19.

While conventional air filters help control the spread of disease in public spaces like hospitals and travel hubs, they struggle to keep the pathogens they capture viable for testing. The inefficiency can inhibit scientists’ ability to identify biological threats early on, which could hinder any response and protection measures.

The research team, led by Caitlin Howell, a U�� associate professor of biomedical engineering, developed a composite membrane with a liquid layer for filters that is better suited for capturing viable bacterial and viral samples for analysis. They modeled the membrane after the Nepenthes pitcher plant, which has a slippery rim and inner walls that cause insects to fall and become trapped within its digestive fluid. By keeping the bacteria and viruses they capture feasible for examination, researchers say their novel liquid-coated air filters can enhance air sampling efforts, early pathogen detection and biosurveillance for national security.

“I think for our patients and ourselves as caregivers, this technology will give us the confidence we are safer in performing care,” says Dr. Robert Bowie, medical director of the Down East Emergency Medical Institute. “Knowing we have improved safety makes it easier to leave our loved ones and go to work caring for others.”

The group of researchers developed multiple types of filters that contained their liquid-coated membrane technology, and tested their ability to preserve and release E. coli bacteria; SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19; and JC polyomavirus, which attacks the central nervous system.

They specifically found that more airborne pathogens were captured by high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters with their liquid-coated membrane than those without. The team published their findings in the journal .

“During the early stages of the pandemic we were watching in real time how many problems were being caused by no one knowing where the airborne virus was and where it wasn’t. We had a system that could start to address that need, so it was our responsibility to step up and help out,” Howell says.

The project was a significant interdisciplinary effort across the fields of biomedical engineering, chemical engineering and microbiology. The U�� biomedical engineering team included first author and Susan J. Hunter Presidential Award winner Daniel Regan, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Engineering (GSBSE) Ph.D. student Chun Ki Fong and former master’s student Justin Hardcastle. The microbiology team, led by associate professor Melissa Maginnis, included Avery Bond, a Ph.D. student in molecular and biomedical sciences, and Claudia Desjardins, then a university laboratory assistant in wastewater analysis. The chemical engineering team, based at UMass Amherst, consisted of professor Jessica Schiffman and Ph.D. student Shao-Hsiang Hung. The team was joined by Andrew Holmes, a biocontainment research scientist with University of �� Cooperative Extension.

Regan first pitched the initial concept for liquid-coated air filters to capture bacteria-containing aerosols to his dissertation committee in March of 2019, based on conversations with military researchers and concerns for detecting potential contamination during medical evacuations. He also featured it in a presentation for the 2020 U�� Student Symposium titled “Optimizing Liquid-Gated Membranes for Bioaerosol Capture and Release, which earned him the Dr. Susan J. Hunter Presidential Research Impact Award.

The concept was further developed and refined when Howell, Maginnis, Schiffman, and Holmes realized that this could also apply to virus-containing aerosols in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and applied for funding from the National Science Foundation. In 2020, the project was awarded a $225,000 NSF EAGER award — an early concept grant that supports “untested, but potentially transformative research ideas or approaches.”

“COVID-19 has been a constant reminder of the important role biosurveillance capabilities provide for decision makers to have detailed information for reducing biological risks” says Regan, now a fellow at the Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons, an institute of the Council on Strategic Risks in Washington, D.C. “In the last year alone, the world has experienced high-consequence pathogens including an outbreak of monkeypox (or mpox), a resurgence of Ebola Sudan and high case numbers of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV). The need for pathogen early warning could not be greater, and it is our hope that further investment in liquid-coated air filters can help advance biosurveillance capabilities for aerosol detection.”

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

U�� study reveals how proteins in yeast communicate to find mates

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 17:16:24 +0000

Understanding the family of cellular on/off switches known as G-proteins is important because these proteins control a lot of the communication between cells in the human body and beyond. A new study from the University of �� has revealed more details about how these essential proteins function in coordinating the cellular response to two contradictory signals in yeast, which could lead to greater understanding of signaling processes involved in human health.

A team of researchers led by Josh Kelley, associate professor of biochemistry at U��, study G-proteins in yeast in hopes that it can tell us how these proteins work in humans. A common way that human cells detect the outside world and receive signals from other parts of the body is through receptors that span the cell membrane called G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). GPCRs detect chemical signals outside the cell, and turn on a G-protein inside the cell to initiate an internal cell signal. Yeast use a GPCR to detect and grow toward potential mating partners.

However, many proteins in the mating pathway are shared with the pathway that controls cell division. This means that when the cell is going through cell division and it gets a signal from a potential mate, it must choose which pathway to use. What the cell is supposed to do is complete cell division first, and then respond to the mating signal, but how this delay in response to the mating signal is mediated is not known.

“Cell division is a critical process. When division is abnormal, the cell is no longer able to function properly and in humans, diseases such as cancer can arise,” says Cory Johnson, former Ph.D. student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering at the University of �� who conducted the research for his thesis.

During the mating response, an enzyme known as MAP Kinase (MAPK) modifies the regulator of G-protein signaling, or RGS. The RGS turns off the mating pathway, but the reason for the modification was not known. The researchers used strains of yeast with different RGS mutants to examine the effect of the MAPK signaling on where RGS goes during the mating response, and how signaling proteins were distributed through the cell. They found that MAPK modification of the RGS controls where the RGS can be found, but also where the MAPK itself is localized.

Most surprisingly, the scientists found that phosphorylation of RGS promotes the completion of cytokinesis — the final division of cells at the end of mitosis — before pheromone-induced growth toward mating partners. They found that the RGS interacts with a protein known to control the end of mitosis, called Kel1. RGS binding to Kel1 turned out to be controlled by the MAPK modification of the RGS, finally answering the long-standing question of why this modification was occurring. Failure to modify the RGS leads to failed cytokinesis, which can have catastrophic effects on the cell.

“We were surprised to see such a striking result because until now there was no evidence that the RGS was involved in regulating cell division,” says Johnson.

“Broadly, this research is exciting because it sheds light on a potential signaling nexus within cells, where two incoming messages are received and the cells interpret which signal has higher priority to be followed,” says William Simke, co-author of the study and former master’s student at U��.

“We hope that our data can inform the scientific community of new potential mechanisms related to the development of disease,” says Johnson.

The was published in August 2022 in the journal Life Science Alliance.

Contact: Sam Schipani, samantha.schipani@maine.edu

��Biz highlights Batchelder, Khalil work on WAVED Medical

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:56:18 +0000

featured Kendra Batchelder, Ph.D. candidate at the University of ��, and her collaboration with U�� bioengineering professor Andre Khalil to launch a business called WAVED Medical, which uses a patented algorithm to help detect breast cancer at an earlier stage. Batchelder and Khalil launched WAVED Medical weeks after finishing second in the latest season of the “Green Light �� Collegiate Edition” business-pitch TV series, using their $7,500 prize money to cover legal fees related to forming a company. Batchelder says she learned a lot from the experience. “Being able to take such high-level research and science and explain it in two to three minute was probably the biggest take-away,” she says.

��Biz highlights health care startups coming out of U��

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:53:36 +0000

featured health care startups and spin-offs coming out of the University of ��, like WAVED Medical, Neuright and MedRhythms. “U�� is seeing an increase in innovations and startups in biomedical technology. Some of that stems from our growing support of research commercialization, but it also is the fruit of seeds planted over the last several years with the creation of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering and the Biomedical Engineering program. The faculty in that area work closely with students to develop innovations and incorporate engagement with a variety of external collaborators, making it a popular major,” said Renee Kelly, vice president for innovation and economic development.

Howell to deliver talk at National Academy of Engineering symposium

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 19:06:28 +0000

University of �� associate professor of biomedical engineering Caitlin Howell will deliver a talk during the National Academy of Engineering’s The Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2022 U.S.-based symposium Sept. 21–23 in Seattle.

Howell is one of 84 highly accomplished, early-career engineers from academia, industry and government invited to participate in the two-and-a-half day event hosted by Amazon, as well as one of its 16 speakers. Learn more on the symposium’s .

For her talk, “Materials-based Approaches to Prevent Biofilm-associated Infections,” Howell will discuss the growing problem of antibiotic resistance and how materials-based mechanisms that are inspired by nature can combat it. She also will describe her efforts in developing a novel liquid surface coating for human catheters, inspired by the membrane of a pitcher plant used to trap insects, to help reduce protein deposition that leads to urinary tract and bloodstream infections. She is working on the project with Ana Lidia Flores-Mireles, Hawk Assistant Professor of the Department of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame.

Howell leads the Howell Biointerface and Biomimetics Lab at U��, which works broadly to understand and ultimately control biological systems through surface interactions and other environmental factors. She also is a member of the University of �� System Science Advisory Board, which has helped the state’s public universities navigate the COVID-19 pandemic by providing leaders with the latest scientific research and medical developments involving the disease, vaccines and other pertinent topics.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Adekeye recognized as a finalist for the American Society for Nutrition’s Young Minority Investigator Oral Competition

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 17:05:46 +0000

Tolu Adekeye, a Ph.D. student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, has been named a finalist in the American Society for Nutrition’s (ASN) Young Minority Investigator Oral Competition, an educational activity that recognizes young investigators from underrepresented communities within the biomedical and life sciences presenting outstanding research.

The five finalists will be recognized during NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE, ASN’s annual scientific meeting that will be held virtually June 14–16.

Adekeye’s abstract for NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE is titled “Phenolic Extract(s) Promote(s) Wound Remodeling.”

The Young Minority Investigator Oral Competition is supported by DSM Nutritional Products.

Jared Talbot: Sharing zebrafish of every stripe

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 13:05:37 +0000

Jared Talbot wants to share zebrafish with the scientific community — and now he has an award to prove it.

Talbot came to the University of �� as an assistant professor in 2019 and is now one of five researchers at the university who specializes in using zebrafish as a model organism for scientific studies — a test subject used as a proxy for human beings.

He first learned about zebrafish being used in research while he was an undergraduate at Cornell University and was instantly fascinated by the versatile fish. Scientists can genetically modify zebrafish to exhibit diseases and disorders similar to those of humans, then easily observe and experiment on the fast-growing fish throughout each stage of their development.

“We can do these cool experiments in a fish that would be impossible in other model organisms,” Talbot says. “They can lay an egg in the morning that grows into an embryo with functional muscle and brain by the next day. For the first few days, they’re transparent. You can look at the fish under a microscope and see to the very center of their body. We can watch tissues as they form, develop and degenerate in real time. That’s the power of a zebrafish. It gives an extraordinarily clear view of development, while retaining the cellular context that would be lost in cell culture.”

Talbot went on to the University of Oregon, which he says is the birthplace of zebrafish biology harkening back to the 1970s with pioneering research by George Streisinger. As he completed his research about skeletal development with Charles Kimmel, Talbot found that the zebrafish biology community was inherently collaborative in a way that appealed to him as a scientist.

“Everyone shares their tools prolifically,” Talbot says. “This is one of the hidden advantages of zebrafish as a model organism — we have each other’s backs in this famously collaborative community.”

The online , lists over 1,500 registered labs that use zebrafish for research.

“Just a few years ago that number was below 1,000,” Talbot says. “It is a community that keeps growing rapidly.”

It was that collaborative spirit that motivated Talbot, in part, to create , a venue for scientists to share mutations of zebrafish that have effects that aren’t relevant to their research, but other scientists might find useful or interesting.

Talbot had already developed a streamlined process of creating zebrafish mutants using gene-cutting enzymes called TALENs, which he updated for use with CRISPR and then openly shared with fellow researchers. However, the process of making a zebrafish mutant that will be an effective test subject for a particular study is tricky. Pinpointing and mutating a gene is relatively easy, but the result of that mutation isn’t truly known until the initially mutated fish have had a chance to breed and pass the mutation on to subsequent generations — a process that can take over a year.

“Only then do you learn if it’s a result that is important to your own project,” Talbot says. “It takes enormous time and effort to generate and confirm a mutant; I think the community can become more efficient by quickly sharing information about mutants that have too-subtle effects, or sometimes too-severe ones, so someone else doesn’t have to invest all that time independently.”

In his own research on muscle development, Talbot developed mutants of zebrafish that affected other parts of the body, but he didn’t want these “backburner” mutants to go to waste.

“I had a choice: I could just move on, start studying effects that are irrelevant to my own focus or I could give away the findings,” Talbot says. “So, I decided to share my trove of off-topic mutants and data.”

Talbot started by offering his mutants to other zebrafish scientists at conferences, many of which were happily adopted for research projects. After one seminar, he hatched a plan with a long-time colleague April DeLaurier to set up a zebrafish sharing system that could be accessed by the whole community. They reached out to ZFIN to create ZebraShare, so zebrafish biologists around the world could swap and share their mutants.

The zebrafish biology community took notice. Talbot was awarded the 2022 Chi-Bin Chien award from the International Zebrafish Society. Chi-Bin Chien was a famously generous zebrafish researcher who developed many tools for the zebrafish community that he handed out freely. When he passed away in 2011 the International Zebrafish Society established an award in his name.

According to their website, this award “recognizes outstanding graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, or recently appointed faculty members from any country who have made significant contributions to the field of zebrafish research and have exhibited the generosity and openness that characterized and motivated Chi-Bin Chien.”

“I feel very bashful thinking of myself as generous, because our culture teaches us not to make that claim; however, the zebrafish community values generosity, and this award recognizes generosity, so I think this is the right moment to embrace that trait,” Talbot says.

Talbot insists, though, that science is never about one individual’s work. He credits DeLaurier for co-creating ZebraShare, as well as Douglas Howe and Leyla Ruzicka, who he says “brought the idea to life in ZFIN.”

He also says there was also extensive student involvement in this project. For instance, Mika Gallati was a U�� undergraduate when she started working with the mutants they first publicized through ZebraShare.

Talbot hopes that winning the award will help spread the word about the ZebraShare system.

“I think this can really take off,” Talbot says. “When one finds an off-topic effect, it’s tempting to just move on because every publication requires immense effort. But that defect, or even a lack of defect, could be interesting to someone else. So, now you can easily let people know what you’ve learned by making a ZebraShare entry in ZFIN. That way the information is available and someone else could potentially run with your finding. I think this is a way to help optimize the research efforts of a whole community.”

In the meantime, his lab at U�� is currently working on “two big projects” with zebrafish, one looking at the cues that control muscle cell migration and growth, and another at muscle differentiation genes in connection with a disease, arthrogryposis.

As for his own “backburner” zebrafish mutants, Talbot says, “We found a home for all of them.”

Contact: Sam Schipani, samantha.schipani@maine.edu

Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering – U�������� News

U�������� doctoral enrollment reaches record high for 10th year; five students share why they chose ��������

Scribbles versus screens

The ideal mix for impact

Staying for the community

Connected for discovery

There’s no place like ��������

Josh Hamilton: Driven by loss, exploring new ways to treat and prevent cancer����

Amanda Ignacz: Strengthening neuromuscular disease research through NIH award

Grant renews and expands biomedical network integral to U�������� research��

U��������’s surveying program receives equipment loan valued at $1.7 million

State’s research community to gather at U��������’s second annual �������� Research Symposium on Biomedical Science and Engineering

Warming waters could make bass more aggressive toward salmon, U�������� study finds

Henry featured on �������� Public discussing the growth of biomedical research in ��������

Media report on $11.3 million U�������� grant from NIH

U�������� awarded $11.3 million from NIH to support biomedical research

Wujcik to present at 94th New England Complex Fluids Workshop

Ortega-Jimenez presented at APS March Meeting in Las Vegas

Alaba honored at BHBS 9th Biennial Conference in Tampa

U�������� researcher explores issues with blood pressure measurement in the dental office

U��������, University of Arkansas researchers collaborate to identify medical foods that lower homocysteine and blood pressure

BDN, Paper Advance share White profile

Liza White: Engineering new applications for paper mill products

New liquid-coated air filters can improve early detection, analysis of airborne pathogens

U�������� study reveals how proteins in yeast communicate to find mates

��������Biz highlights Batchelder, Khalil work on WAVED Medical

��������Biz highlights health care startups coming out of U��������

Howell to deliver talk at National Academy of Engineering symposium

Adekeye recognized as a finalist for the American Society for Nutrition’s Young Minority Investigator Oral Competition

Jared Talbot: Sharing zebrafish of every stripe

Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering – U�� News

U�� doctoral enrollment reaches record high for 10th year; five students share why they chose ��

There’s no place like ��

Josh Hamilton: Driven by loss, exploring new ways to treat and prevent cancer��

Grant renews and expands biomedical network integral to U�� research��

U��’s surveying program receives equipment loan valued at $1.7 million

State’s research community to gather at U��’s second annual �� Research Symposium on Biomedical Science and Engineering

Warming waters could make bass more aggressive toward salmon, U�� study finds

Henry featured on �� Public discussing the growth of biomedical research in ��

Media report on $11.3 million U�� grant from NIH

U�� awarded $11.3 million from NIH to support biomedical research

U�� researcher explores issues with blood pressure measurement in the dental office

U��, University of Arkansas researchers collaborate to identify medical foods that lower homocysteine and blood pressure

U�� study reveals how proteins in yeast communicate to find mates

��Biz highlights Batchelder, Khalil work on WAVED Medical

��Biz highlights health care startups coming out of U��