Maine Science Podcast

Dustin Updike is  an Associate Professor at MDI Biological Laboratory . Dustin's work looks at how stem cells maintain pluripotency -- the capacity to become other cell types in the body. Dustin and his team use some of the newest and most innovative biological research tools - including CRISPR - to study C. elegans nematodes.  More about the Maine INBRE program:   https://inbre.maineidea.net/ . A...

This episode is from the University of Maine's podcast The Maine Question , where one of their recent guests was 2015 5 Minute Genius speaker Sam Hess . Sam is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maine, and his research is in biophysics and using physics techniques to understand biological processes at the cellular level.  ~~~~~~~~~ Tickets ($25/$10 for stud...

Ali Abedi is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Cooperating Professor of Computing and Information Sciences, an Associate Vice President for Research, and Director of Center for Undergraduate Research (CUGR) at the University of Maine. His work relies heavily on a multi-disciplinary approach that is focused on engineering with a strong recognition of the foundation provided by ph...

Christie Mahaffey is one of the founders and partners of Foundation Brewing Company. Her science background includes biology, human ecology, data analysis, and an interdisciplinary PhD in mechanical engineering and materials science. Christie uses all of these areas in her work at Foundation Brewing.   The 2022 Maine Science Festival Call for Ideas is open! (https://www.mainesciencefestival.org/ca...

Tom Klak is a geographer who's recent work has focused on the restoration of the American chestnut tree. Tom is part of a team of researchers who are working on reviving the chestnut through a transgenic process, so that it can survive the fungus that decimated (and all but eradicated) chestnuts when it was discovered in the U.S. in 1904.  If you have information about a chestnut tree where you li...

Jason Bolton is a food scientist, and has been involved with the Maine food science world since his undergraduate days at the University of Maine. Jason was a presenter at the first Maine Science Festival in 2015, and since then has been a great resource to the MSF team when we have questions about food science.  One note: the Maine Science Podcast team is taking a break for August 2021. We'll be...

Sascha Deri is the CEO of bluShift Aerospace , and the first repeat guest on the Maine Science Podcast. Sascha is longtime presenter and supporter of the Maine Science Festival, and in this conversation Sascha provides some updates on what bluShift has been up to in the past year, as well as what's on tap in the future. Sascha was also part of the January 2021 online forum, From Maine to the Stars...

Kristin Burkholder is a microbiologist at the University of New England (UNE). Carrie Byron researches Marine Ecology, also at UNE. While they would describe themselves as different types of scientists - a lab scientist vs an applied scientist - they have teamed together for the last few years to look at a wide variety of science questions they have about seaweed, which is a high-growth industry i...

Jeri Bowers is the Director of Development & Public Affairs for MDI Biological Laboratory . Jeri has been a longtime supporter of the Maine Science Festival, and has been instrumental in helping ensure that the MSF features some of the great work happening at MDI Bio Lab. ~~~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Science Festival. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the M...

Magdalena Blaszkiewicz is co-founder and CEO of Neuright, Inc . She holds a doctorate in biomedical science from University of Maine and has over 10 years prior experience in a biomedical start-up in Boston. Magda was scheduled to be a 5 Minute Genius™ speaker for the 2020 Maine Science Festival before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  ~~~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production...

In our March 30, 2021 online forum, Elisabeth Marnik, Assistant Professor at Husson University, provided an overview of how these new vaccines work and addressed the current state of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States.  Thanks to our online forum sponsors the BioScience Association of Maine and The Jackson Laboratory , and media sponsor Maine Public for supporting the Maine Science Festival an...

The development of multiple vaccines for COVID-19 has been an extraordinary feat of science, but is not the final step in stopping the pandemic. The distribution of these vaccines and the need to continue to address and support public health is equally critical. In this session recorded on March 24, 2021, we covered vaccine distribution and public health in Maine with Noah Nesin of PCHC and LuAnn...

This bonus episode is the audio from our March 17, 2021 online forum, How Maine companies stepped up. Round two = nonbiological science and engineering. This session covered some Maine companies that aren’t working in the biological sciences field, but who have nonetheless put their expertise and efforts into addressing the COVID-19 pandemic: Peter Malikowski (Cianbro Corporation), Bryan Donovan (...

In this forum  from March 10, 2021, we heard from three different Maine organizations who are deeply involved in addressing COVID-19: Norman Moore from Abbott, Olivier te Boekhorst representing IDEXX, and Richard Lussier from The Jackson Laboratory shared how they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to our online forum sponsors the BioScience Association of Maine and The Jackson Laboratory...

At our March 2, 2021 online forum, University of Maine Associate Professor Melissa Maginnis explained COVID-19 as a virus: what it is, how it works, and why it’s been so effective in causing a pandemic. Thanks to our online forum sponsors the BioScience Association of Maine and The Jackson Laboratory , and media sponsor Maine Public for supporting the Maine Science Festival and these forums.   ~~~...

Chuck Donnelly started RockStep Solutions in 2014, which grew out of his work at The Jackson Laboratory where he was director of computational sciences. At RockStep, Chuck and his team have developed an information systems product that helps biomedical researchers with their research.  Chuck presented at the 2016 Maine Science Festival; you can get in touch with Chuck on LinkedIn and follow him on...

Deborah Bronk joined Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in February 2018 as its president and CEO; her expertise is in marine-estuarine and environmental sciences. Deborah has conducted more than 50 research cruises and field studies in freshwater and marine environments from pole to pole, and previously served as division director for the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Science...

Romain Madelaine is an Assistant Professor at MDI Biological Laboratory . Romain studies neuron and muscle tissue regeneration at the laboratory’s Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Aging, in particular trying to understand why the zebrafish, which is a highly regenerative animal, can readily regenerate neuron and muscle tissue, while mammals, including humans, for the most part...

Steve Munger  is an Assistant Professor of Systems Genetics at The Jackson Laboratory. Steve is a computational biologist with a passion for finding patterns in “big data”.  Steve and his lab explore the natural genetic variation in each of us that makes us each unique, searching for patterns in our 3 billion bases of DNA that explain why some of us are more likely to get a specific disease than o...

Scarlet Tudor is the Research and Outreach Coordinator for the Aquaculture Research Institute at the University of Maine. Scarlet has a Ph. D. in Marine Sciences, and has a deep interest in animal behaviors.  Scarlet was one of the scientists who helped with the MSF project The Warming Sea , accompanying Composer Lucas Richman to some middle schools around  Maine. ~~~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast...

The MSF teamed up with Ronit Prawer from the UK Science & Innovation Network  to run this session, making this our first international collaboration. We heard from Tony Appleton (from Burns & McDonnell ) for the UK perspective; Habib Dagher (from the University of Maine ) covering Maine; and Dan Burgess of the   Governor's Energy Office talking about some of the policy connections between the two....

In this online forum, we heard from Karl Hoose ( VALT Enterprises ); Sascha Deri ( bluShift Aerospace ); and Mark Lippold ( FMI , A Spirit AeroSystems Company), all of whom talked about their companies' place in the growing aerospace industry in Maine. Information about the 2021 online forums: https://bit.ly/MSFJ-M2021 Video recording of this forum on the MSF YouTube channel    Thanks to our onlin...

Iain Drummond is a Professor and Director of the Davis Center for Aging and Regeneneration at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. Iain's research focuses on organ development and regeneration, using zebrafish as a model.  To find out more about the (Re)Building a Kidney (RBK) consortium, click here .    ~~~~~~~ The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine...

Cassaundra Rose is a Senior Science Analyst and Climate Council Coordinator with the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. Cassaundra managed a policy and communications program for the American Geosciences Institute between 2015 and 2019, where she connected the geoscience community with policy makers at the local, state, and federal levels to support science-based decision makin...

Rafael Grossmann is a surgeon who focuses on the convergence of technology & healthcare. Rafael uses mixed reality platforms to teach students, and has long been an advocate for using technology in health - with just one example being telehealth. Rafael presented at the MSF Showcase Event 5 Minute Genius in 2019. You can see his video at the MSF YouTube channel .  Connect with Rafael on LinkedIn ,...