MaineHealth Institute for Research Community

New Webinar Series for the NIGMS Training Community  Webinar Link Posted by Dr. Jon Lorsch and Dr. Alison Gammie on April 29, 2020 We’re pleased to announce  a new webinar series for students, postdocs, and faculty.  Each hour-long webinar will include a 10- to 15-minute presentation by the speaker followed by a moderated question and answer session. Our hope is that these webinars will enhance our trainees’ ongoing learning experiences.  The webinar series kicks off next Monday, May 4 , and a tentative list of dates and speakers is on the link above. As plans are finalized, additional details will be posted on  our website . We strongly encourage our sponsored trainees and other interested students, postdocs, and faculty to participate in these webinars, and we ask that you to share this information with anyone who may be interested in attending.  Participants requiring sign language interpretation should email  info@nigms.nih.gov  at least 3 days prior to the event. Reco

Thanks to Elizabeth Campbell for this contribution! Meet the Xenobots, Virtual Creatures Brought to Life By  Joshua Sokol

Thanks to Elizabeth Campbell for this Nature article contribution! NEWS   17 APRIL 2020 How research funders are tackling coronavirus disruption As lockdowns force scientists worldwide to put their research on hold, funders are introducing measures to minimize stress. While science is crucial to the fight against COVID-19, researchers confined to their homes and unable to carry on with grant-funded work are becoming increasingly concerned about how the coronavirus pandemic will affect their funding. The disruption — such as the closure of labs and universities — means researchers face challenges in completing projects by their deadlines and might struggle to pay lab members when grants run out. “If this situation lasts for more than two to three months it will be impossible to finish the projects on time,” says Juan Astorga-Wells, a biochemist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. He is involved in two projects supported by grants from the European Union’s Hori

Thanks to Carol Zechman for this contribution! Maine Small Businesses: How To Help While no one in our state has been left unaffected by the novel coronavirus, it is clear that small businesses and restaurants are feeling the struggle especially right now.  Pay It Forward Maine  was started by the  Portland Regional Chamber  and its partners as a collaborative community measure. The site contains an ever-growing library of ideals, tools, and resources to support Maine businesses, organizations, and each other during this pandemic. In addition to providing assistance to the businesses themselves, it helps those of us in Maine and all over the country support the companies we love. Gift cards, online orders, and even social promotion can be hugely beneficial at this time. A few other initiatives that we want to highlight include: Governor Mills’  Maine Helps  page The University of Maine Office of Innovation and Economic Development’s  Resources for Maine busin

Hi Everyone!  I hope you are all faring well during these unprecedented times! As you heard on Dr. Sawyer's message he sent out today, the American Heart Association Southern Maine Heart Walk on May 17th has gone virtual and we would still love to have everyone participate. As a reminder, MaineHealth is the lead sponsor for this years walk and Dr. Sawyer and MMC COO Jennifer McCarthy are the co-chairs for the event. I wanted to provide you with some details about the virtual event and how the American Heart Association is involved with COVID19 related research. What does it mean for the Heart Walk to go virtual? In order to control the spread of the virus, the CDC is recommending postponing events with crowds. As a result, we have strategies in place to allow participants to fully experience the spirit of Heart Walk and 5K wherever they are.  Activities will include a virtual leaderboard, suggested routes to run your own 5K, training tips, and healthy living resources to l

Connect to the link below to hear Doug's short video message: Doug's video message

Hello everyone, Despite the halt in lab work, our MMCRI undergraduate interns from University of Southern Maine have been working hard to finish strong!   Next Friday, May, 1st, they will be presenting their research via zoom video, starting at 2:00pm. The schedule is below. Please feel free to join when you can to help support our interns! They have done outstanding work this year. To come and go, please just remember to mute your microphone for the duration of your attendance. We will be using the chat box for Q&A, and we invite you to use this option. Topic: USM intern presentations Time: May 1, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android:  https://maine.zoom.us/j/215629876 2:00-2:15- Anastasia D’Amico, Reagan Lab 2:15-2:30- Sophia Blanchard, Brown Lab 2:30-2:45- Jake Angelico, Vector Borne Lab 2:45-3:00- Mikayla Long, Vector Borne Lab 3:00-3:15- Connor Scanell, Lindner Lab 3:15-3:30- Rajan Dhakal, Guntur Lab 3:30-

Thank you Rick for sharing this video message! Link to Rick's video message Dear MMCRI Colleagues,   I hope you are doing well and staying healthy. Please see my video message below for MMCRI updates and after a special video of my granddaughter that hopefully will brighten your day as it does mine.     Please remember to check-in at the  MMC  and  MH  websites and keep up to date using the  COVID-19 resource page .  I encourage you to reach out to me or Doug if you have specific needs.      Thanks to you all and take care, Rick

Thanks to Michaela Reagan for this contribution! JAX Online MiniCourses  offer access to online learning modules based on the live lectures JAX delivers each year in our  Courses and Workshops.  These modules enable learners to engage online at any time and at their own pace, search for specific content, document progress through digital badges, and bundle courses into certificates to demonstrate a deeper knowledge of key topics. Online MiniCourse  content is reviewed by JAX scientists and educators and serves as foundational content related to the research areas in which The Jackson Laboratory has earned a reputation for scientific leadership and excellence. Topics include: Basics of Mouse Genetics Diversity Outbred Mice Basics of CRISPR/Cas9 Cre-lox Technology in Mouse Modeling JAX clinical education online courses  were designed for clinicians but provide valuable insight into the methods and use of genetic testing for anyone with personal or professional research intere

Thanks to Susan Santangelo for sharing this lovely quote from Rachel Carson and photo from Barb Murray on Earth Day! Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. Rachel Carson,  Silent Spring

We are so thankful to Toni St. Peter for doing a wonderful job keeping our animal facility in top shape, and her leadership during change! Update from Toni: The Animal Care Staff is working hard keeping the mice happy.  Liz Enright has left to pursue her career in biology.  We have a new Animal Technician II, Caitlin Hanlon, who we are breaking in quickly :) Keep happy and healthy!

Please see information below about the next MMCRI Book Group Meeting from Leisa Collins: The choice for our May 2020 Virtual Book Group is  The Ghost Map  by Steven Johnson.  If you’d like to participate in MMCRI’s first virtual book group, please: 1.       Send email to Leisa (lgcollins@mmc.org) to get the 5/29 meeting request with Zoom link. 2.       Purchase a copy of The Ghost Map as promptly as possible, so that you have time to finish it ahead of our Friday, May 29, 2020, 1:30PM online discussion meeting date. Audio and e-books can be gotten immediately upon purchase, but physical books may take longer than you usually experience. Consider supporting one of our local bookstores - you can buy by phone or online (sometimes audio/e-books can be done at the websites too): Book Review   (Falmouth) Letterpress Books   ( Portland ) Longfellow Books   (Portland) Nonesuch Books   (South Portland) Print: A Bookstore   (Portland) Sherman's Maine Coast Book S

Andrew Bohm will be giving this seminar Thursday 4/23 at noon through zoom video: Thursday April 23 rd  12:00 noon  Zoom  -  https://tufts.zoom.us/j/95003417353   Meeting ID: 950 0341 7353   "Considerations in the Design and Screening of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Single-Chain Antibodies”   Andrew Bohm, PhD Associate Professor Developmental, Molecular & Chemical Biology Tufts University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Tufts University School of Medicine

Congratulations to Anastasia D'Amico for winning second place in the BioME student showcase!  Anastasia performed her research on multiple myeloma in Michaela Reagan's lab. Great work! See all the results at the link below: Link to showcase

Thanks to Michaela Reagan for this contribution! AACR VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING I: APRIL 27-28 ACCESS AND REGISTRATION The first edition of the AACR Virtual Annual Meeting will be available free to everyone. Attendees will be asked to  create an account  to access the meeting platform. AACR Meeting Registration Site ABSTRACT TITLES Abstract titles and other session details are available through the  online meeting planner .

Thanks to Rea  Anunciado-Koza  for contributing this PNAS article! Link to PNAS article

Thanks to Michaela Reagan for this contribution! MSK Science Spotlight In this time of a global pandemic, relying on science to help us make decisions is more important than ever. Memorial Sloan Kettering is proud to announce  MSK Science Spotlight , a twice-weekly scientific seminar series featuring illuminating lectures by today’s leaders in basic and translational biomedical science. Seminars are viewable via livestream every Monday and Wednesday at 4:30  pm . No registration is required. Seminars last 60 minutes, including 15 minutes for Q & A. Science Spotlight Link