In this forum  from March 10, 2021, we heard from three different Maine organizations who are deeply involved in addressing COVID-19: Norman Moore from Abbott, Olivier te Boekhorst representing IDEXX, and Richard Lussier from The Jackson Laboratory shared how they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to our online forum sponsors the BioScience Association of Maine and The Jackson Laboratory, and media sponsor Maine Public for supporting the Maine Science Festival and these forums.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Festival has received sponsorship support for this Bonus Maine Science Podcast forum episode from the BioScience Association of Maine, The Jackson Laboratory and Maine Public. The Maine Science Podcast was recorded at Discovery Studios at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, Maine.  

The Maine Science Podcast is produced and edited by Kate Dickerson. 

Production support from Maranda Bouchard and social media support from Next Media. 

The Variation on the Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker

Find us online:

Website - Maine Science Festival

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

At our March 2, 2021 online forum, University of Maine Associate Professor Melissa Maginnis explained COVID-19 as a virus: what it is, how it works, and why it’s been so effective in causing a pandemic.

Thanks to our online forum sponsors the BioScience Association of Maine and The Jackson Laboratory, and media sponsor Maine Public for supporting the Maine Science Festival and these forums.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Festival has received sponsorship support for this Bonus Maine Science Podcast forum episode from the BioScience Association of Maine, The Jackson Laboratory and Maine Public. The Maine Science Podcast was recorded at Discovery Studios at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, Maine.  

The Maine Science Podcast is produced and edited by Kate Dickerson. 

Production support from Maranda Bouchard and social media support from Next Media. 

The Variation on the Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker

Find us online:

Website - Maine Science Festival

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Chuck Donnelly started RockStep Solutions in 2014, which grew out of his work at The Jackson Laboratory where he was director of computational sciences. At RockStep, Chuck and his team have developed an information systems product that helps biomedical researchers with their research. 

Chuck presented at the 2016 Maine Science Festival; you can get in touch with Chuck on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter.

-----

In other MSF news: after having had to cancel the Maine Science Festival for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are happy to share that planning has begun for 2022. 

We are excited to announce that the world premiere of the MSF-commissioned symphonic piece, The Warming Sea will be performed by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra on March 19, 2022. The Warming Sea, written by GRAMMY award-winning composer, Lucas Richman, is a symphonic exploration of hope in the face of climate change.

A vital part of this project were the interviews between Lucas and those who have direct knowledge of climate change in the Gulf of Maine - including some people who've been featured on this podcast (Deborah Bronk, Scarlet Tudor, and Heather Hamlin). Lucas met with scientists and experts in the summer and fall of 2019, as well as middle school students throughout the state. These interviews and conversations provided the foundation for The Warming Sea. Further details about the headliner event will be released this fall.

To help support this event, we have collaborated with Sea Bags for a limited edition The Warming Sea Sea Bag. Each bag will be numbered and include a score of The Warming Sea’s concluding anthem, “Hope Begins With Truth,” signed by Lucas. Only 150 bags are available.

We are taking orders until May 25, 2021; bags will be shipped out by mid/late June. All proceeds will support both the March 19, 2022 world premiere event AND the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. You can purchase yours at https://bit.ly/MSF-TWS-SB. 

~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Science Festival. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. Edited and produced by Kate Dickerson; production support by Maranda Bouchard and social media support from Next Media. 

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. 

Support provided by Maine Technology Institute.

Find us online:

Website - Maine Science Festival

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Deborah Bronk joined Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in February 2018 as its president and CEO; her expertise is in marine-estuarine and environmental sciences. Deborah has conducted more than 50 research cruises and field studies in freshwater and marine environments from pole to pole, and previously served as division director for the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Science and as President of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. 

In December 2020, Deborah was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and recognized for her substantial research advances on the marine nitrogen cycle and for leadership in the ocean science research community. 

Deborah was recently elected as the newest president of The Oceanography Society; her term begins in 2023 and will run for two years. And she was one of the scientists involved in The Warming Sea project.  

The new Maine Science Festival store is found at  http://bit.ly/MSF-store; the Warming Sea + Sea Bags fundraiser can be found at http://bit.ly/MSF-TWS-SB. 

~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Science Festival. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. Edited and produced by Kate Dickerson; production support by Maranda Bouchard and social media support from Next Media. 

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. 

Support provided by Maine Technology Institute.

Find us online:

Website - Maine Science Festival

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Romain Madelaine is an Assistant Professor at MDI Biological Laboratory. Romain studies neuron and muscle tissue regeneration at the laboratory’s Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Aging, in particular trying to understand why the zebrafish, which is a highly regenerative animal, can readily regenerate neuron and muscle tissue, while mammals, including humans, for the most part cannot. 

~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Science Festival. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, Maine. Edited and produced by Kate Dickerson; production support by Maranda Bouchard. 

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. 

Support provided by Maine Technology Institute.

Find us online:
Website - Maine Science Festival
Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram
Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Steve Munger  is an Assistant Professor of Systems Genetics at The Jackson Laboratory. Steve is a computational biologist with a passion for finding patterns in “big data”.  Steve and his lab explore the natural genetic variation in each of us that makes us each unique, searching for patterns in our 3 billion bases of DNA that explain why some of us are more likely to get a specific disease than others. Using mice as a model, he seeks to discover how DNA mutations that assert subtle individual effects  – “genetic paper cuts” – can, in certain combinations, disrupt gene regulatory networks, cellular function, and ultimately lead to disease.

Steve presented at the MSF Showcase Event 5 Minute Genius in 2017. You can see his video at the MSF YouTube channel. 

Connect with Steve on LinkedIn, or on Twitter (@stevemunger). His research page is https://www.jax.org/research-and-faculty/research-labs/the-munger-lab.

~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Science Festival. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, Maine. Edited and produced by Kate Dickerson; production support by Maranda Bouchard. 

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. 

Support provided by Maine Technology Institute.

Find us online:
Website - Maine Science Festival
Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram
Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Scarlet Tudor is the Research and Outreach Coordinator for the Aquaculture Research Institute at the University of Maine. Scarlet has a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences, and has a deep interest in animal behaviors. 

Scarlet was one of the scientists who helped with the MSF project The Warming Sea, accompanying Composer Lucas Richman to some middle schools around  Maine.

~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Science Festival. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. Edited and produced by Kate Dickerson; production support by Maranda Bouchard. 

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. 

Support provided by Maine Technology Institute.

Find us online:

Website - Maine Science Festival

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

The MSF teamed up with Ronit Prawer from the UK Science & Innovation Network  to run this session, making this our first international collaboration. We heard from Tony Appleton (from Burns & McDonnell) for the UK perspective; Habib Dagher (from the University of Maine) covering Maine; and Dan Burgess of the  Governor's Energy Office talking about some of the policy connections between the two.

Information about the 2021 online forums: https://bit.ly/MSFJ-M2021

Video recording of this forum on the MSF YouTube channel 

Thanks to our online forum sponsor BioScience Association of Maine, and media sponsor Maine Public for supporting the Maine Science Festival and these forums.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Festival has received sponsorship support for this bonus Maine Science Podcast episode from the BioScience Association of Maine, and Maine Public. The Maine Science Podcast as recorded at Discovery Studios at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, Maine.  

The Maine Science Podcast is produced and edited by Kate Dickerson; production support provided by Maranda Bouchard.

The Variation on the Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

Find us online:

Website - Maine Science Festival

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

In this online forum, we heard from Karl Hoose (VALT Enterprises); Sascha Deri (bluShift Aerospace); and Mark Lippold (FMI, A Spirit AeroSystems Company), all of whom talked about their companies' place in the growing aerospace industry in Maine.

Information about the 2021 online forums: https://bit.ly/MSFJ-M2021

Video recording of this forum on the MSF YouTube channel 

Thanks to our online forum sponsor BioScience Association of Maine, and media sponsor Maine Public for supporting the Maine Science Festival and these forums.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Festival has received sponsorship support for this bonus Maine Science Podcast episode from the BioScience Association of Maine, and Maine Public. The Maine Science Podcast as recorded at Discovery Studios at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, Maine.  

The Maine Science Podcast is produced and edited by Kate Dickerson; production support provided by Maranda Bouchard.

The Variation on the Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

Find us online:

Website - Maine Science Festival

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum

Iain Drummond is a Professor and Director of the Davis Center for Aging and Regeneneration at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. Iain's research focuses on organ development and regeneration, using zebrafish as a model. 

To find out more about the (Re)Building a Kidney (RBK) consortium, click here. 

~~~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Science Festival. It was recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. Edited and produced by Kate Dickerson; production support by Maranda Bouchard. 

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker. 

Support provided by Maine Technology Institute.

Find us online:

Website - Maine Science Festival

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook    Twitter     Instagram

contact us: [email protected]

© 2021 Maine Science Festival

~~~~~

The Maine Science Podcast is a production of the Maine Discovery Museum. It is recorded at Discovery Studios, at the Maine Discovery Museum, in Bangor, ME. The Maine Science Podcast is hosted and executive produced by Kate Dickerson; edited and produced by Scott Loiselle.

The Discover Maine theme was composed and performed by Nick Parker.

To support our work: https://www.mainediscoverymuseum.org/donate.  

Find us online:

Maine Discovery Museum

Maine Discovery Museum on social media: Facebook    Instagram   LinkedIn   Bluesky

Maine Science Festival on social media: Facebook  Instagram   LinkedIn

Maine Science Podcast on social media: Facebook   Instagram

© 2025 Maine Discovery Museum