Understanding how the body repairs itself and why that ability declines with age is at the center of research led by Romain Madelaine, Ph.D., assistant professor at MDI Biological Laboratory. In a recent Q&A feature, Madelaine shares insights into how studying zebrafish regeneration may help scientists uncover new strategies to support human health. Madelaine’s research […]
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A year ago, we featured Jordan Miner, a UMaine Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, recipient of the Janet Waldron Doctoral Research Fellowship. Jordan was co-advised by Drs. Karissa Tilbury, COBRE Pilot project leader, and Andre Khalil. Her research is focused on breast cancer. While working on the COBRE pilot project and as a fellowship recipient, […]
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Researchers at MDI Biological Laboratory have developed a novel transgenic zebrafish model that significantly accelerates the study of sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. The work, published in PLOS Genetics, introduces a powerful, experimentally controllable platform for investigating the molecular mechanisms driving muscle degeneration. Led by Roman Madelaine, Ph.D., the team engineered […]
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Samantha Barrick, assistant professor of biochemistry at UMaine, received a $231,000 Career Development Award from the American Heart Association to investigate how defects in force-sensing proteins impact the heart’s ability to pump blood. The three-year grant will support Barrick’s research as she measures the force generated by individual heart muscle cells with and without mutations […]
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Zebrafish are driving some of the University of Maine’s most advanced biomedical discoveries. The paperclip-sized fish share genetic similarities to humans and have unique traits that allow scientists to watch disease processes and cellular development in real time [Read More Here]
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Zebrafish are small and not physically impressive, but they are powerhouses in medical research labs. Not only can these little fish from Southeast Asia regrow their organs and body parts, but they also have transparent eggs and remarkably similar DNA to human beings […] Read More Here
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Cameron Bains is a third-year biochemistry major in the Honors College at UMaine. During the 2025 Winter break, she took part in the Honors tutorial course held at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL). This week-long course, The Molecular Mechanisms of Human Disease, offered a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in biomedical research. […]
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NIH/NIGMS Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE grant P20GM144265) in Extracellular Regulation of Cellular Behavior 2025 Call for Pilot Projects. Overview This pilot project program will provide seed money for additional innovative research projects related to the theme of cellular signaling in response to extracellular cues. One Pilot project will be chosen for funding for […]
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On behalf of the Graduate Executive Committee, the Graduate School announced the recipients and alternates for the Janet Waldron Doctoral Research Fellowships and George Davis Chase Distinguished Research Assistantships for AY 2025-26. Congratulations to all the recipients as well as all the outstanding graduate students who were nominated for these awards. Two students supported by […]
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The Madelaine Lab is exploring the zebrafish’s self-healing powers. Can we apply them to humans? Zebrafish have a superpower: the ability to regenerate damaged tissues—eyes included! Now, the research group of Romain Madelaine, Ph.D., is making groundbreaking explorations of these regenerative feats, work that could lead to new approaches to disorders such as macular degeneration, […]
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