Please join us via Zoom this Thursday, March 4th to hear from Dr. Shirley Pomponi, research professor, ocean explorer, and part-time aquanaut, as she describes her experience living in the underwater laboratory Aquarius for nine days in 2019. Dr. Pomponi was selected to participate in one of NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO), testing out techniques and protocols for future space missions.

You can read about Dr. Pomponi and what you can expect from her fascinating talk on our website, and can register for the talk here.

Please reach out to Ashley Destino at ashley.destino@gmgi.org with any questions.

Today begins our new #TourTuesday series, where you’ll get a glimpse inside GMGI’s state-of-the-art research institute each Tuesday for the next few weeks. Let’s get started!

Some background: Affectionately known amongst staff as ‘417 Main’, the nearly 6,000sq ft space first opened in October of 2018 and is home to all of GMGI’s research and administration staff. The institute was built by @windover_construction and was made possible through a $2.7M grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

First up, the largest and most centralized lab in the institute, the Molecular Biology Lab. This is where the majority of hands-on laboratory experiments take place, with specialized tasks happening in other, smaller lab areas. (You’ll see those in the coming weeks!) The Molecular Biology Lab supports desk space for GMGI’s research associates and lab technicians, and has designated bench space for up to 16 research staff – all with incredible views of Gloucester’s inner and outer harbor!

The Gloucester Biotechnology Academy is now accepting applications for the Class of 2022! The Academy, located in Blackburn Industrial Park, provides high school graduates with the training needed to begin a career in biotech. This innovative program pairs ten months of hands-on training in a state-of-the-art teaching lab with a paid, three-month internship at a biotech company or research institute in Boston, Cambridge or the North Shore.

Are you – or know someone who might be – interested in learning more? Visit our website or contact Education Director Dr. John Doyle at john.doyle@gmgi.org for more information.

On Thursday, November 19th, we are honored to have Nobel Laureate William G. Kaelin Jr., M.D. as the speaker for our second virtual Science Hour talk of the season! In 2019, Dr. Kaelin received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work with tumor suppressing proteins, using a variety of molecular and cellular approaches to understand how, mechanistically, these proteins prevent tumor growth.

Please join us on Thursday, November 19th at 7:30pm on Zoom to hear Dr. Kaelin’s journey from being a “C-” student to earning one of the most prestigious awards in medicine.

You can register for this talk here.

Please reach out to Ashley Destino at ashley.destino@gmgi.org with any questions.

On August 31, the Gloucester Biotechnology Academy will open its doors for the Class of 2021 to begin the innovative, life sciences workforce training at Blackburn Center. and is still accepting applications for the few remaining openings. The entering class will mark the 5th anniversary of the transformational, vocational program.

“At GMGI, we are all about science so we will be taking more than just the prescribed precautions,” said Christine Bolzan, GMGI Executive Director. “This will be a safe and productive environment — 81% of enrolled students graduate and 86% of them have gone either on to careers in life sciences or to study science in college.” The Academy team has created a comprehensive plan that prioritizes the health and safety of students and staff and allows for a continuation of the Academy’s tradition of excellence in hands-on, laboratory career training.

Donning PPE has long been an Academy practice, and additional requirements will include careful social distancing, rotating breaks and lunch schedules, cleaning regimens, and a revised academic calendar to account for potential disruptions due to illness. Students and staff will engage in daily health monitoring before entering the facility. Equipment has been purchased to allow for lectures to be recorded, and both classroom and laboratory settings have been reconfigured to create the safest possible environment.

“The practical curriculum cannot be taught remotely as the great benefit of this experience is its hands-on nature and guidance from our teaching staff. We needed to develop a plan that would allow that to continue, and it will take commitment, vigilance and honesty within our Academy community to make this work amid a global pandemic. We are excited to move forward and welcome another cohort of young adults to pursue careers as laboratory technicians,” explained Dr. John Doyle, Education Director.

The Gloucester Biotechnology Academy is currently accepting applications for the Fall of 2020 and more information can be found online: https://gmgi.org/education/apply/

Join us on Thursday, July 9th for the final GMGI Science Hour of the season: “GFP: Lighting Up Life” with Nobel Prize winner Martin Chalfie.

In 2008, Dr. Chalfie was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry with co-recipients Osamu Shimomura and Roger Tsien for the discovery and development of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). His demonstration of the GFP gene’s capability as a biological marker revolutionized the biological sciences and contributed to major advances in genetics, cell biology, and neurobiology, and to a better understanding of cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

Click here to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_972Cd7nZQDG0wxx_LkWDtg?fbclid=IwAR1iC_eqfJ2E9pNKMIxkZrl3FkoOc4-aYd0AY7wUhWCndueYh2x7LNd_Rc8

Looking for plans this Thursday night? Join GMGI for our virtual Science Hour!

Nina Overgaard Therkildsen, fisheries scientist, assistant professor at Cornell University, and GMGI Science Advisory Board member, will join us via Zoom on Thursday, June 11^th at 7:30pm to discuss how she and her team use genomics as a tool for improving fisheries management.

Nina’s research aims to leverage the ongoing revolution in genomic analysis tools to help support sustainable fisheries management and marine conservation. Her talk will discuss the enormous potential of DNA as a tracing tool in a wide variety of ocean applications.

Invitation with details below.  RSVP to ashley.destino@gmgi.org.