A dozen SMCC students spent a week at a renowned research institution in January studying flatworms, animals that are distinctive for their remarkable ability to regenerate lost body parts.
The students and SMCC Science Professor Lareen Smith attended the weeklong course, Stem Cells and Regeneration in Planarians, held Jan. 9-14 at the MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor. The course was led by Jason Pellettieri, chair of the Biology Department at Keene State College in New Hampshire. 
For the class, Pellettieri introduced students to the biology of stem cells and regeneration in planarian flatworms, using an original research project he designed in his lab at Keene State College. During the week, students used the flatworms to identify genetic pathways that control stem cell division.
The participating students (with their majors) were: Tyler Bauersfeld (Biotechnology); Lumiere Bisimwa (Liberal Studies); Emily Cornell du Houx (Marine Science); Fallon Descoteaux (Biotechnology); Amy Dorion (Marine Science); Hannah Garcia (Biotechnology); Sofia Guelfi (Marine Science); Rory Hannon (Marine Science); Dillon Holton (Biotechnology); Lucy Lohrenz (Nursing); Nadia Smith (Nursing and Biotechnology); and Stephanie Taylor (Marine Science and Horticulture).
Cornell du Houx said she especially enjoyed how the class intertwined theory, research and practice, while allowing her to get to know other like-minded students and listen to Pellettieri’s interactive lectures.
“The fact that it all culminated in actual usable (though not final) data and beautiful imaging on top of all that made it an experience I won’t soon forget,” she said. “Before coming to MDIBL, I
suspected that I would love research, but this course just confirmed it a thousand-fold for me.”
The research at MDIBL is supported by the Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), through a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Photos from the class be viewed on SMCC’s Flickr account.
Smith, who has participated as a faculty member in the MDIBL course for three consecutive years, said it’s “incredibly rewarding to see our students, who come from different backgrounds and majors, come together and work seamlessly as a unit — supporting each other and cheering each other on.”
“The INBRE grant and Dr. Pellettieri’s research gave our students the opportunity to develop practical laboratory skills, learn a new and exciting protocol, and work as a team,” she said.
From a student’s perspective, learning firsthand in a lab helps develop a new perspective of the unquestionable importance of science, said Bisimwa.
“It has been an eye-opening experience.”