Research

Press Herald interviews Mech on fungus killing browntail moths

The Portland Press Herald interviewed Angela Mech, an assistant professor of forest entomology at the University of Maine, on the effect a fungus is having on browntail moth populations. Mech and her students have studied browntail moths for years, and she said she has seen reports that the fungus has been effective this year. “Trees […]

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Apply for MIRTA accelerator’s sixth cohort

The University of Maine’s Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources, and Engagement (SPIRE) is now accepting applications for the 2024 Maine Innovation, Research, and Technology Accelerator (MIRTA) program.  The MIRTA program is designed to propel University of Maine System research projects from the applied research and development phase to commercialization. The program offers a comprehensive […]

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Science interviews Alyokhin on new tool for combating pesticide-resistant beetle

Science interviewed Andrei Alyokhin, a professor of applied entomology at the University of Maine School of Biology & Ecology, for a story about Calantha, a new pesticide to combat Colorado potato beetles. These beetles have developed a resistance to traditional pesticides over the years, but Calantha, created by GreenLight Biosciences, uses RNA interference (RNAi) to […]

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A photo of hands holding the satellite module

Maine’s first research satellite enters orbit

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the successful launch of Maine’s first research satellite into orbit early morning on Thursday, July 4. Maine’s first research satellite launched into the stratosphere in the early morning on Thursday, July 4. During its six-month to two-year orbit, MESAT1 will use its astronomical view to gather […]

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Smithsonian Magazine interviews Calderwood for blueberry feature

Smithsonian Magazine referenced research from the University of Maine and interviewed Lily Calderwood, a wild blueberry specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, for a story about wild blueberries harvested in the state. University researchers are analyzing how the berries respond to heat stress and excessive precipitation in order to help farmers predict how […]

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Media announce launch of space satellite designed by UMaine

Mainebiz, the Houston Chronicle, the Arizona Republic, Hoodline, WGME (CBS 13 in Portland), the Portland Press Herald, Space.com, the Daily Galaxy and Spectrum News announced the upcoming launch of MESAT1, Maine’s first small research satellite, by Firefly Aerospace. The satellite will provide students and teachers in Maine access to space data for educational and research […]

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A photo of a foggy forest in fall

Forest-based economy, jobs focus of new university-nonprofit partnership

A $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation will fund a four-year statewide collaborative project led by the University of Maine to foster resilient forest communities in Maine.   Maine-FOREST, or Forest-based Opportunities for Resilient Economy, Sustainability and Technology, will expand the state’s research and educational capacity to connect human and ecosystem focused innovations and […]

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A photo of the 66-foot sailboat named the Ocean Tramp

Graduate student documents Chilean research voyage with photography

The boat where Maraina Miles lived for a month was equipped with a small oven large enough for a tray of brownies, a four-burner gas stove and a mini refrigerator. Most of the perishables, such as avocados and cabbage, were stored on the top deck, kept cool by the Chilean weather and chest freezers.   Despite […]

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Mainebiz highlights NSF grant for company founded by UMaine alumna

Mainebiz highlighted a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation awarded to Paramount Planet Product, a company that makes disposable consumer goods out of paper. It was founded in 2017 by University of Maine alumna Ariadne Dimoula, who at the time was working with researchers from UMaine to create a new material called “plaaper,” […]

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NYT cites Climate Reanalyzer data visualizations on worldwide heat tracker

The New York Times cited two data visualizations from the University of Maine Climate Change Institute’s Climate Reanalyzer. One visualization showed the range of maximum temperature forecasts for Thursday worldwide, and the second showed where Thursday’s forecast temperatures were warmer than 1979-2000 averages and by how much.

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