Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences

Patenaude recognized at International Gordon Conference on Streptococcal Biology

Kathryn Patenaude, a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences from Presque Isle, Maine, won an outstanding poster award at the International Gordon Conference on Streptococcal Biology this August.  The poster, titled “Investigating the interaction of Streptococcus agalactiae and Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo,” featured research Patenaude is conducting in the lab of Melody Neely, […]

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Adekeye selected for BioME Student Showcase Fast Pitch competition

Esther Adekeye, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering doctoral student in the lab of Dorothy Klimis-Zacas, professor of clinical nutrition, has been selected by the BioME Student Showcase judges to compete in the 2022 BioME Student Showcase Fast Pitch competition on April 27 in Portland.

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Maginnis speaks to WSJ about COVID BA.2 variant

Melissa Maginnis, associate professor of microbiology, was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal about the COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 variant in the Northeast. Maginnis told the Wall Street Journal that the winter surge also likely left a large portion of the U.S. with increased resistance, because BA.2 is similar to the coronavirus version that recently infected […]

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Media feature UMaine muscular dystrophy study

Muscular Dystrophy News Today, Lab+Life Scientist, Science Daily, Latestly, The News Headline, News Azi, Hindustan Times, FOX 22 Bangor, Devdiscourse, The Print, India.com and Today Headline reported on a University of Maine study that shows certain activities may help strengthen muscles affected by muscular dystrophy. The researchers used a process called neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), which […]

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Media reports on UMaine study about drug treatments for fungal pathogens

The Bangor Daily News, Lab Roots, Daily Bulldog, Medical Xpress, News Azi, News Medical, Cystic Fibrosis News Today and RT Magazine reported on a UMaine study that found pathogens don’t always work against drug treatments. Sometimes, they can strengthen them. The researchers found that a pathogen called Pseudomonas aeruginosa works with a drug called fluconazole to […]

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Student Amanda Sandberg (from Sweden) works with her Associate Professor of Microbiology instructor Melissa Maginnis in their Hitchner Hall lab.

UMaine viral study earns $440K from the National Institutes of Health

A University of Maine study of the behavior of a virus that can lead to deadly brain disease was recently awarded $440,410 from the National Institutes of Health.  The study looks at how the virus, known as JC polyomavirus (JCPyV), interacts with receptors on human host cells. Little is known about how the virus infects […]

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Student working in a lab

Wastewater monitoring remains central to UMS COVID-19 tracking effort

Wheeler Lab at UMaine leading robust surveillance program for four UMS campuses and two neighboring communities  Orono, Maine — The University of Maine System wastewater testing effort that began in fall 2020 and expanded to additional campuses in 2021 is in full operation as students settle back into campus life for the January–May 2022 semester. […]

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Pelletreau talks with The Atlantic about sea slug kleptoplasty

Karen Pelletreau, director of faculty educational development at the University of Maine and former postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, spoke with The Atlantic about the ability of the sea slug Elysia chlorotica to sustain chloroplasts from the algae they consume to produce energy through photosynthesis. MSN shared the Atlantic story.

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NSFA Unlocked reveals impact behind the acronym

The College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture (NSFA) at the University of Maine will host a live webinar called “NSFA Unlocked” from 2–4 p.m. Sept. 30.  Campus leaders from the college in nursing, marine sciences, economics and more will highlight the science and student experiences that inspire their work. The showcase aims to better […]

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Boston Globe talks with Maginnis about predicting COVID infection peaks

The Boston Globe spoke with Melissa Maginnis, a University of Maine professor of virology and member of the University of Maine System Science Advisory Board, about predicting when the current COVID-19 infection spike will end. “What we have seen in other parts of the world and the Southern states is that there is about a […]

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