Members of the Bioscience Association of Maine who may need support in a variety of core research areas will find that they do not need to travel out of state to access world-class scientists at very competitive pricing. Todd Keiller, Director of Technology Transfer at MMCRI and Claire Deselle, Executive Director of BAM, discussed the advantages and the opportunity in the following interview.
CD: Why is MMCRI offering its Core Research facilities and expertise as a service to BAM members? TK: Since the mid 1950’s, federally-funded research has taken place at Maine Medical Center and set the stage for early lifesaving innovations such as open-heart surgery and dialysis. Today, MMCRI’s world-class scientists are moving closer to solving some of our community’s most pressing medical issues, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, pediatric conditions, psychiatric disorders and osteoporosis to name a few. We believe we can assist companies in Maine who are also working in related areas and would otherwise need to collaborate with core research facilities elsewhere in order to access the expertise, the equipment and/or the techniques to move their projects forward. CD: Can you provide an example of a project where MMCRI’s Core Research team might be appropriate? TK: We have many Cores or areas of expertise including BioBanking, Histopathology, Molecular Phenotyping, Mouse Transgenics & Small Animal Imaging, Physiology, Progenitor Cell Analysis, Protein, Nucleic Acid Analysis & Cell Imaging, Recombinant Viral Vectors, and Research Laboratory Services as well as the clinical and health services research expertise to move a project forward. So a company that needs the services listed above, but cannot justify the expense of building this in house, would benefit from exploring options with MMCRI. CD: Where can a company get more information about MMCRI’s Core Research offerings? TK: A copy of our new resource guide is available on the BAM website at: http://www.mainebioscience.org/join_bam/cost_savings/ It is also accessible at: http://issuu.com/crockb1/docs/brochure_mmcri_core_faciliteis_broc CD: BAM members should also note that MMCRI will be donating a small percentage of profits from projects originating from BAM members to our organization to support future educational and programming initiatives. Be sure to check out the Cost Savings page for the direct link to their detailed brochure.