The National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates site at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (Salisbury Cove, Maine) provides ten eight-week fellowships for undergraduate students majoring in biology or its allied fields of study. Students prioritize three mentors/projects from a list of 30 senior scientists exploring timely questions involving marine molecular physiology and functional genomics. Using sharks, skates, flounder, sculpin and other sea fauna including invertebrates, students work at the laboratory bench to explore questions at the molecular level concerning reproduction, osmoregulation, acid base balance, ion transport and environmental toxicology. Students are trained in advanced techniques such as confocal microscopy and gene expression. To supplement bench work, undergraduates attend three weekly laboratory-wide science seminars on topics related to marine molecular physiology (Monday Morning Membrane Transport Seminar, Wednesday Evening Seminar, and Friday 'Brown Bag' Short Lecture Seminar) and participate in an ethics course, 'Responsible Conduct in Laboratory Research' taught by their mentors. Students are invited to attend a variety of MDIBL scientific conferences in which internationally renown researchers present their work. Selected undergraduates present their research at an end-of-the-season event, 'Future Scientists Night' sponsored by MDIBL and the Jackson Laboratory. Finally, students write a research paper for possible publication in The Bulletin of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (www.mdibl.org/parent-frames/publications/).
MDIBL's REU Fellowships are all-inclusive. Room, board, supplies, travel and a stipend are provided. Undergraduates are housed on campus in one of two residence halls adjacent to the Laboratory volleyball court. Three meals a day are provided in the MDIBL CO OP. On weekends, undergraduates cook their own meals, with 'raw materials' provided in the dining hall. Activities outside the Laboratory include unlimited recreation in nearby Acadia National Park and small towns on Mount Desert Island. The dormitories, the community dining hall, dedicated mentors, energetic students, the Laboratory's natural setting and ambiance coalesce to a truly unique and productive scientific community.
Student recruitment point of contact: Michael McKernan (Director of Education), tel. 207 288-3605, mmckernan@mdibl.org. For site and application information see web page at www.mdibl.org
