RRF Undergraduate Assistant Awards

Field Trials to Examine Growth and Survival of a New Bivalve Culture Candidate in Maine: Razor clams, Ensis leei

PI: Beal, Brian (Marine Sciences, UMaine Machias) Sector: Aquaculture Partners: Downeast Institute, Darling Marine Center Abstract: Thanks to funding over the past two years from the Maine Technology Foundation and Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, razor clams, Ensis leei, have become a new culture candidate in Maine. Work at UMM’s Marine Science Field Station at the Downeast Institute (DEI) has […]

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Muscular Dystrophy Genomics Research Collaborative

PI: King, Benjamin (Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, UMaine) Sector: Healthcare, Genomics Partners: UMaine Abstract: Muscular dystrophy is a large group of debilitative diseases that result in weakened skeletal muscle and affect approximately 250,000 individuals in the US. Our interdisciplinary research collaborative seeks to discover the molecular mechanisms dysregulated in one form of muscular dystrophy by applying developmental biology, genomics […]

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Track III: Coastal Ecosystem Science for Maine’s Marine Economy & Coastal Communities

PI: Leslie, Heather (Darling Marine Center, UMaine) Sector: Marine Science Partners: UMaine Machias, University of Southern Maine Abstract: Coastal ecosystems are of great value. They provide food and clean water, protection from coastal storms, and also are home to some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, fueling seafood and tourism industries valued at more than $5B per […]

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High throughput predictive bioenergetics through statistical machine learning for big-data to assess biological responses to environmental stressors

PI: Jayasundara Nishad (Marine Science, UMaine) Sector: Biology, Data Science Partners: UMaine Abstract: The goal of this research is to build a team of undergraduates to integrate biological sciences with big-data statistical approaches to develop a commercializable statistical tool that can predictively compute the capacity of an organism to maintain energy homeostasis when exposed to toxicants and other stressors […]

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Maine Ag Data Monitoring App–Undergrad Interdisciplinary (Track 3)

PI: Blais, Joline (New Media, UMaine) Sector: Agriculture, Computer Science Partners: UMaine Presque Isle, SYRA Abstract: The goal of this project is to test hardware sensors for environmental monitoring in Maine year round agricultural systems including controls that integrate seamlessly with Maine farmer’s production needs. We are seeking funding for 3- 4 undergraduate students across disciplines through an Interdisciplinary […]

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Undergraduate Capstone: Genetics of Freshwater Snails of Northern Maine

PI: Roe, Judith (Biology, UMaine Presque Isle) Sector: Biology, Ecology Partners: Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Abstract: There are ~40 species of freshwater snails in Maine. These snails have been inventoried occasionally over the past 150 years, and Ken Hotopp of Appalachian Conservation Biology has spearheaded a project to determine the current distribution of species in the […]

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Stakeholder-Engaged Hydropower Decision Making

Principal Investigator: Sharon Klein (UMaine, School of Economics) Partners: Bridie McGreavy (UMaine, Communication and Journalism) Abstract: We request funds to support an undergraduate research assistant who will assist in a multi-scale, coupled-systems research project on the ecological, social, and economic trade-offs in decision making. The project is part of a multi-state, multi-institutional, interdisciplinary collaboration between […]

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Working with the Alewife Harvesters of Maine to Assess Harvest Strategies for Sustainable and Expanding River Herring Harvests in Maine

Principal Investigator: Karen Wilson (USM, Environmental Science, and Policy) Partners: David Hart (UMaine, Senator George Mitchell Center for Sustainable Solutions) Abstract: River herring (alewife and blueback herring) fisheries are a growing segment of Maine’s fishing and bait industry, and expected to expand as restoration efforts continue to increase access to spawning habitat. In this project, […]

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Adipose Tissue Neural Innervation: Mechanisms and Therapies

Principal Investigator: Kristy Townsend (UMaine, School of Biology and Ecology) Partners: Len Kass (UMaine, GSBSE), Ali Abedi (UMaine, GSGSE), Nuri Emaneglotu (UMaine, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Todd O’Brien (O’Brien Medical, LLC) Abstract: Currently obesity and diabetes are worldwide pandemics, and here in New England, Maine is the most obese state, thus negatively […]

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