By Robert Gillespie

Colby students and junior faculty in biology and chemistry will have new opportunities for hands-on education and training in biomedical research as the result of a three-year, $5.5-million National Institutes of Health grant to create the Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN). The new network links Colby, Bates, College of the Atlantic and the University of Maine with the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) and the Jackson Laboratory, both highly acclaimed research facilities in Bar Harbor.

The network will enhance the research capacity at the four Maine schools as students and junior faculty receive mentoring in biomedical science at the two laboratories, in particular in the new area called comparative genomics.

Researchers in genomics map the human genome by comparing the function of genes from different species. Murine (mouse) and marine species, with a 98 percent genetic similarity to humans, are productive models for research that will aid in interpreting the human genome and its relationships to human biology and disease.

Students and faculty at the four schools will team up at MDIBL and the Jackson Lab with top biomedical scientists under the auspices of the new network.

"These are people the students have been reading about in their courses-first-class people," said Dean of Faculty Ed Yeterian, who played a major role in securing Colby's involvement in the network. "This is a great opportunity to link up in a significant way with two world-renowned research facilities."

During the 10-week summer research program at either of the labs, students will work one-on-one in a laboratory setting with senior-level biomedical scientists focusing on comparative functional genomics. Students will receive a stipend of $250 per week and free room and board.

A selection committee composed of members of the various institutions will select students each year. During the academic year, 16 students and two faculty members will spend an average of two and a half weeks at MDIBL learning cutting-edge research techniques such as quantitative fluorescent microscopy and in functional genomics, bioinformatics and DNA sequencing. Seminars, courses, conferences, demonstrations and workshops will augment the ongoing research projects. Funds also are provided for video conferencing equipment and online networking.

Art Champlin, Colby's Leslie Brainerd Arey Professor of Biosciences, says the research network is "a great opportunity for the schools and the labs to take advantage of each other's expertise."

For faculty it's not only an opportunity to get training in cutting-edge technologies in genomics; it's also an opportunity to teach short courses to affiliated faculty at the other institutions. A Colby faculty member also could take students to the MDIBL or Jackson facilities as part of a research-intensive Jan Plan. The network is a win-win proposition for the schools and the labs. MDIBL expects the resources faculty bring to stimulate its year-round biomedical research, advancing its own goals at the same time the laboratory aids the development of scientific programs at Colby and the other schools.

According to Jerilyn Bowers, director of development at MDIBL, "Maine has no leading research hospital. Connecting nonprofit institutions with research institutions will create more qualified graduates." The network is a huge step forward in developing Maine's capacity in biomedical research, and it provides a great resource for training the next generation of Maine's scientists and for increasing future job opportunities in the state.

At a meeting at Colby in November, representatives of MDIBL spoke to a large gathering about the training opportunities afforded. "It's good to have ‘face time' with these people," said Yeterian. "They were looking at our faculty, thinking ‘These people have relevant expertise.'"

The interest level among students at the meeting was high, too. "Kids were eager to put in their applications," Yeterian said. He believes the research institutions are eager to mentor talented young people who are excited and willing to make things happen in the lab.

The enhanced research capability of student research assistants and enhanced science research by faculty also will allow Colby and the other institutions to participate more fully in the competition for federal funds. "People from the schools will be able to learn current genomics techniques," Champlin said, "and can become even more competitive for grants in the future."

After the three-year BRIN grant runs out, Yeterian says, he is hopeful that participating institutions will continue the networking and free exchange of information.

"To be this formally linked with this quality of research, all within the state, is a great opportunity," Yeterian said. "We've formed a research community of very high caliber."