SALISBURY COVE, Maine — Twelve Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) students traded their winter break for lab coats last week, participating in an intensive five-day research short course at the MDI Biological Laboratory. 
Led by Dr. Jason Pellettieri of Keene State College and SMCC Biological Sciences program chair Dr. Daniel Moore, the residential program focused on the regenerative powers of planarians—flatworms capable of regrowing entire body parts. Students used advanced tools, such as fluorescence microscopy, to study mitotic stem cells and investigate how specific compounds influence cell division.
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The hands-on experience is designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and professional scientific inquiry. For many, the immersion led to a “lightbulb” moment regarding student career paths.
“The short course was a transformative opportunity,” said Emily Page, a biotechnology major. “Spending a week in a research environment… really impacted me. Bench science might just be for me!”
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to see what research is actually like, in a quick, compressed environment,” Page added. “It’s a great first step, and I’m grateful for that.”
Dr. Moore noted that the professional modeling—or “soft skills”—students learn is just as vital as the lab work. “They learn what it means to be a professional; how you speak, how you hold yourself, how you interact with others, and how you confront frustrating situations,” Moore said.
This program is a cornerstone of the Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), a statewide initiative led by MDI Bio Lab to strengthen Maine’s research community and technical workforce. The network has invested over $100 million into student training and advanced research infrastructure.
The impact of the INBRE is woven into the history of its member institutions, including SMCC. For James Coffman, Ph.D., Associate Professor at MDI Bio Lab and Principal Investigator for the Maine INBRE, the program is the reason he is in the state.
“If it weren’t for the INBRE, I wouldn’t be here in Maine,” Coffman said. “It’s been a central part of our evolution into a year-round institution.”
The support from the Maine INBRE is what makes these life-changing experiences possible for our students,” Dr. Moore said. “It allows them to move beyond the classroom and see themselves as part of a much larger, professional scientific community right here in Maine”.
Dr. Coffman emphasized that the Maine INBRE has catalyzed a connected biomedical ecosystem. What were once “isolated islands” of institutions now enjoy shared resources and pathways to collaboration that have provided direct research experience for more than 3,000 undergraduates.
For those interested in exploring similar hands-on scientific opportunities, more information is available on the SMCC Biotechnology program page.