Recently, three University of Maine graduate students made a significant impact at the 6th annual BioME Student Showcase for life science research. This event aims to promote innovation and the commercialization of student ideas in Maine, providing valuable networking opportunities for participants. The competition took place at the University of Southern Maine McGoldrick Center in Portland, with ten UMaine undergraduate and graduate students selected to participate.
The showcase featured 28 participants split into three categories based on enrollment in high school or college undergraduate or graduate programs. Each student had to submit an application to be considered. Among the college graduate finalists, Sarah Holbrook took first place with her research titled “A Novel Category of Neuromuscular Disease: A Quest for a Cure.” Lola Holcomb finished second with “Developing ‘Microbiome Medicine’ with Broccoli and Bacteria,” while Samantha Costa placed third with “Increased PD-L1 expression in obese mice leads to bone marrow immunosuppression and increases the susceptibility for bone marrow metastases.”
The graduate-level competition, known as a “Fast Pitch,” was open to any graduate student enrolled in a Maine academic institution. Participants had to share their research in a 5-minute pitch to judges, accompanied by no more than five presentation slides. The focus was on how their research could be commercialized, with in-depth Q&A sessions following the pitches to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject. Prizes ranged from $2,500 for first place to $700 for third place.
