The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor has partnered with an Australian research group to boost research and education efforts for regenerative medicine.
The lab on Monday announced its new partnership with The Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, or ARMI, at Monash University in Melbourne, saying it could open the potential to develop biotechnology business connections between Maine and Australia.
“ARMI and the MDI Biological Laboratory are the only two research institutions in the world that focus on understanding how diverse animals are able to readily grow new body parts after injury or disease,” Kevin Strange, MDI Biological Lab’s president, said in a prepared statement. “By partnering with ARMI, we will be able to speed the discovery of new ways to promote healing and tissue repair in humans and potentially improve Maine’s economy. This is an exciting opportunity for us all.”
The partnership calls for the creation of an international exchange program for faculty and students between MDI Biological Lab and Monash University. Beyond facilitating international business connections, the partnership also could lead to the development of a drug discovery consortium focused on identifying new pharmaceuticals.
“MDI Biological Laboratory has a venerable history that Kevin has rejuvenated with young vibrant faculty and a new focus on regenerative medicine,” Nadia Rosenthal, the Australian research institute’s founding director, said in a prepared statement. “We found we had both landed on the same recipe for success: studying animals with varying regenerative capacity gives remarkable insight into mechanisms of repair.”
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