MDI Biological Laboratory

Bridging Disciplines: Impacts of Environmental Chemicals on Physiology and Health 2026

Now open! The 2026 Bridging Disciplines course is accepting applications.

Hands-on biomedical research for Maine undergrads ready to explore how science connects environment, health and discovery. Apply today!

#researchmatters 🧪 🤝 🐟🎸 🍎 👩‍🔬 🌎 🖥️ 🧬

Kynurenine Pathway Dysregulation Impairs Podocyte Morphology and Bioenergetics In Vitro and Leads to Glomerular Dysfunction The enzymes of the kynurenine pathway participate in the catabolism of TRP, where they generate metabolites known as kynurenines, which are considered biologically active. Using a transgenic zebrafis....

New research article in @faseborg.bsky.social, "Kynurenine Pathway Dysregulation Impairs Podocyte Morphology and Bioenergetics In Vitro and Leads to Glomerular Dysfunction" with Patricia Schroder, Lynne Staggs, and Hermann Haller.

#ScientificResearchPublishing 🧪 🤝 #SciEd

Echoes Beyond the Lab

From summer fellow to symposium speaker — Dr. Matthew DeBerge returned to MDI Bio Lab nearly 20 years after his first visit to share his latest research on inflammation and cardiovascular disease. Read more about this full-circle science moment!

🧪 🤝 🍎 🌎 🫀 #AcademicSky #SURF #researchmatters

Dr. Liz Marnik Empowers Parents to Cut Through Health Misinformation Podcast Episode · Speaking of Kids... · 10/01/2025 · 39m

Speaking of Kids podcast 👉 How to cut through health misinformation when you're a parent

This podcast from First Focus on Children, features Liz Marnik science communicator and MDI Bio Lab's Director of Science Education and Outreach.

#standwithscience #researchmatters #SciComm 🧪 🤝

Today, we pause to thank the veterans within our local communities and across the nation. Your dedication reminds us what it means to serve something larger than ourselves.

From all of us at MDI Biological Laboratory — thank you & Happy Veterans Day! 🇺🇸 🧪 🤝

This image by MDI Bio Lab's Travis Carney is a #drosophila larval brain. Neural stem cells and neurons are marked, including axons that project into the brain. The flare in the center of each lobe is part of a learning and memory center in flies.

ZEISS Microscopy #microscopymonday 🧪 🤝

MDI Bio Lab is heading to the ASM conference, November 19–22 in San Antonio, TX!

Dr. Hannah Lust will be representing the MDI Bio Lab. Come say hello, learn about our research, and connect with our team!

#ABRCMS25 #researchmatters 🧪 🤝 🐟🎸 🍎 👩‍🔬 🌎 🖥️ 🧬

UMFK student advances research through INBRE fellowship FORT KENT — Georgia Burton is making the most of her opportunities at the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK) as she pursues her ultimate dream of earning a

Maine INBRE #SURF alum spotlight! 🌟

A student at the University of Maine Fort Kent, Georgia Burton spent her summer at MDI Bio Lab and is now pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy. Read her story in the Mount Desert Islander!

🧪 🤝 🍎 👩‍🔬 #researchmatters

“Ultimately, science isn’t just the pursuit of new knowledge, it is a daily practice of hope happening in labs, clinics, and quiet offices. We are all connected through this hope, even when the progress toward it seems invisible”

open.substack.com/pub/fromthes...

Maine IDeA Data Science Conference

👉 Registration Now Open!
Maine IDeA Biomedical Data Science Conference

February 27–28, 2026
Bar Harbor, Maine
Keynote speaker: Dr. Titus Brown, UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Lab for Data Intensive Biology

#datascience #machinelearning 🧪 🤝 🖥️ 🧬 #IDEAMaine

Microinjection: How do scientists give #Celegans cells new instructions?

#standwithscience #researchmatters 🧪 🤝 🍎 🧬

Empathy matters as much as evidence. A new perspective in Development, co-authored by former MDI Bio Lab visiting scientist Nicole Theodosiou, PhD explores how scientists can better connect with the public and counter misinformation.

#researchmatters #researchpublishing 🧪 🤝 🐟🎸 🍎 👩‍🔬 🌎 🖥️ 🧬

MDI Bio Lab’s Hannah Somers’ Image Wins International Recognition

Big congratulations to Hannah Somers, Digital Image Analyst at MDI Bio Lab, whose striking visualization of a zebrafish’s brain was named an Image of Distinction in the Nikon Small World competition — and featured by #NationalGeographic!

#researchmatters #microscopymonday #lightsheet 🧪 🤝 🐟🎸 👩‍🔬

Collaboration fuels discovery — and #KidneyWk is where it happens!

MDI Bio Lab is proud to join the world’s leading nephrology researchers this week in Houston at the annual ASNKidney conference. Will they see you there?

#researchmatters 🧪 🤝 🐟🎸 🍎 👩‍🔬 🌎 🖥️ 🧬 #NephSky #RenalSky

No tricks—just #fluorescent treats! 🎃

Captured by Romain Menard in the @mdibl-lmf.bsky.social, this #zebrafish shows its vascular (Fli1a:GFP) and motor neuron (mnx1:mCherry) systems glowing under the microscope.

#fluoresencefriday #microscopymonday #fluorescentproteins #lightsheet 🧪 🤝 🐟🎸

The MDI Biological Laboratory is hiring!

Join a community of scientists, educators, and innovators dedicated to improving human health and transforming discoveries into cures: https://mdibl.org/careers/

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#neurojobs #sciencejobs #STEMjobs #academicjobs #postdocjob

Did you miss the recent podcast with MDI Bio Lab's Dr. Emily Spaulding from our friends Maine Discovery? Check it out!

https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/post/maine-science-podcast-emily-spaulding-episode-90

#celegans #neuroscience 🧪 🤝 🍎 👩‍🔬 🖥️ 🧬

MDI Bio Lab Launches New Study of PFAS Health Effects on Families and Children

Dr. Jane Disney is expanding her work on #PFAS exposure, this time focusing on schools and homes in Tremont, ME. The project—PFAS Understanding in Local Schools and Environments—invites the community to take part in identifying risks and building local solutions.

#researchmatters 🧪 🤝 🍎 👩‍🔬 🌎

This #microscopymonday image from grad student Olaleye Olajuyin shows a newly formed nephron in an adult #zebrafish. Green: stem cell aggregates that proceed to form a nephron; blue: newly formed nephrons actively proliferating; gray: nuclei cells in the newly formed nephron.

#researchmatters 🧪 🤝

We’re proud of our GSBSE Ph.D. students and faculty who joined peers from across Maine for the annual GSBSE retreat—sharing research, connecting and celebrating collaboration.

#standwithscience #researchmatters

From physics research to bridal consultancy, Bobcats had an array of internships this summer This summer, Batesies kept busy with a variety of research efforts and internships.

Students from Bates College took on a wide range of internships this summer, including right here at MDI Bio Lab!

Sebenele Lukhele, 2025 Maine #INBRE fellow, put it best: “...purposeful work is applying biological sciences into changing the lives of people in need.”

#researchmatters 🧪 🤝 🍎

So excited to listen to this podcast!! 🎧

MDI Bio Lab’s Elisabeth Marnik Is One of Maine’s “40 Under 40” Leaders Whether it's a breakthrough in regenerative medicine or a milestone in our growth, you can stay up to date with the MDI Biological Laboratory's latest news and happenings by subscribing to receive our eNews, event invitations and our flagship Breaking Through magazine.

A national leader in science education and communication inspiring young Mainers in the classroom and beyond, Liz Marnik makes science clear, compassionate & accessible for everyone!

🍎 🧪 🤝 #SciComm #standwithscience #researchmatters #SciEd #iTeachBio #EduSky

Meet the Minds of MDI Bio Lab: Hermann Haller, M.D.

The Haller lab studies how blood vessels form and change in the kidney over time using animal models to better understand both development & aging. Learn more: https://mdibl.org/faculty/hermann-haller-m-d/

#standwithscience #researchmatters 🧪 🤝

A striking capture by @murawalalab.bsky.social Marko Pende for a 2020 paper in the @aaas.org journal Science Advances (doi.org/10.1126/scia...). It shows the intricate structures of the axolotl — a model for regeneration research.

#standwithscience #researchmatters #microscopymonday 🧪 🤝

Congratulations to Frederic Bonnet and the @mdibl-lmf.bsky.social on these amazing achievements!! 🎉

Shout out to our President’s Cabinet! Their advocacy amplifies our mission, sparks new connections, and inspires others to learn about the MDI Bio Lab's research and education programs throughout the year! 🧪 🤝 🍎

mdibl.org/presidentsca...

#researchmatters #philanthropyfriday

Shout out to Olaleye Olajuyin, who presented his research at the Zebrafish Disease Models Society Annual Conference this week @bostonu.bsky.social! He gave a flash talk and shared his work during the poster session — great representation of MDI Bio Lab science!

#researchmatters 🧪 🤝 🐟🎸 🍎 🧬

From a small lab on the coast of Maine to a hub for discovery with global impact — get to know MDI Bio Lab in under a minute.

#standwithscience #researchmatters
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A Habit of Working Together: Colby College, MDI Bio Lab, and a Shared Vision for the Future

Maine science is powered by collaboration. Andrea Tilden, Ph.D., (Colby College + MDI Bio Lab) puts it best: “The next 20 years will be defined by collaboration.” Here’s to building that future together.

#standwithscience #researchmatters 🧪 🤝 🍎 👩‍🔬 🌎 🖥️ 🧬