This spring, six University of Maine at Augusta students were selected from a large field of candidates to take part in three-week course focusing on “Bridging Disciplines: The impacts of exposure to toxic substances on health, regenerative capacity, and aging,” an educational opportunity from the MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor.

The online and in-person research course focused on interdisciplinary approaches to biomedical research.

The UMA students participating in the program were Hillary Nash of Portland and Jade Rego of Alna, both nursing majors; Leslie Tibbetts of Bar Harbor, a veterinary technology major; and Kyia Bryant of Augusta, Minjoo Kim of Busan, South Korea, and Jieun Yun of South Korea, all biology majors.

Co-directing the course were UMA Professor Juyoung Shim, University of Southern Maine Professor Douglas Currie, and MDIBL Education Director Jane Disney.

As part of this course, students performed in-class/hands-on experiments at the UMA Bangor Campus laboratory using Planaria, as an animal model system, to study the effects of various chemicals (ranging from alcohol, nicotine, aspirin, dimethyl sulfoxide, lithium chloride, and arsenic contaminated well-water). They examined how these chemicals affect animals’ behavior and mobility changes. They also conducted regeneration biology by using a microscope to observe Planaria’s ability to regenerate under the exposure to these chemicals.

“In addition to the hands-on research experiments, students received lectures and training from experts in various areas of biomedical research, including molecular biology, microscopy, aging biology, CRISPR techniques, bioethics, environmental advocacy and toxicology and regeneration biology,” said Shim, according to the news release from UMA.

According to the laboratory, this course sought to create a community of learners who are interested in toxicology and impacts of chemical contaminants on human health, regenerative capacity, and aging.

This type of research opportunity provides experiential learning to UMA students and is beneficial for those pursuing graduate studies or health professions upon graduation.

Subsequent to the course, Minjoo Kim presented arsenic exposure results at the UMA Student Research Conference. Additionally, Minjoo Kim, Jieun Yun, and Kyia Bryant presented their work at the Annual Maine Biological and Medical Sciences Symposium in April.

In addition to Shim, Currie and Disney, Abby Roche of the University of Maine participated as a faculty member.

For more information about the program, visit uma.edu.