SALISBURY COVE, Maine听鈥� Twelve 91制片厂 (91制片厂) students traded their winter break for lab coats last week,听participating听in an intensive five-day research short course at the MDI Biological Laboratory. 
Led by Dr. Jason听Pellettieri听of Keene State College and 91制片厂 Biological Sciences program chair Dr. Daniel Moore, the residential program focused on the regenerative powers of planarians鈥攆latworms capable of regrowing entire body parts. Students used advanced tools, such as fluorescence microscopy, to study mitotic stem cells and investigate how specific compounds influence cell division.听
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The hands-on experience is designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and professional scientific inquiry. For many, the immersion led to a “lightbulb” moment听regarding听student career paths.听
鈥淭he short course was a transformative opportunity,鈥� said听Emily Page, a biotechnology major. 鈥淪pending a week in a research environment… really听impacted听me. Bench science might just be for me!鈥�听
鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful opportunity to get to see what research is actually like, in a quick, compressed environment,鈥� Page added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great first step, and I鈥檓 grateful for that.鈥�听
Dr. Moore noted that the professional modeling鈥攐r “soft skills”鈥攕tudents learn is just as vital as the lab work. “They learn what it means to be a professional; how you speak, how you hold yourself, how you interact with others, and how you confront frustrating situations,” Moore said.听
This program is a cornerstone of the Maine听IDeA听Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), a statewide initiative led by MDI Bio Lab to strengthen Maine鈥檚 research community and technical workforce. The network has invested over听$100 million听into听student training and advanced research infrastructure.听
The impact of the INBRE is woven into the history of its member institutions, including 91制片厂. For听James Coffman, Ph.D., Associate Professor at MDI Bio Lab and Principal Investigator for the Maine INBRE, the program is the reason he is in the state.听
鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for the INBRE, I wouldn鈥檛 be here in Maine,鈥� Coffman said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a central part of our evolution into a year-round institution.鈥�听
The support from听the Maine听INBRE is what makes these life-changing experiences possible for our students,”听Dr. Moore said. “It allows them to move beyond the classroom and see themselves as part of a much larger, professional scientific community right here in Maine”.听
Dr. Coffman emphasized that the Maine INBRE has catalyzed a connected biomedical ecosystem. What were once “isolated islands” of institutions now enjoy shared resources and听pathways to collaboration that have provided direct research experience for more than听3,000 undergraduates.听
For those interested in exploring similar hands-on scientific opportunities, more information is available on the听91制片厂 Biotechnology program page.听