Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory

Founded in 1898 on Maine’s scenic coast, MDIBL holds the visionary conviction that the natural world offers the best answers to some of our most pressing scientific questions.

Applying the principles of intellectual individualism, comparative biology, and evolutionary thinking to all that we do has placed MDIBL at the forefront of regenerative biology, aging and environmental health research.

Nimble, creative, efficient and cutting-edge, the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) is a truly an innovative independent research institution. Our diverse team of scientists and students are advancing a new paradigm of how 21st century biomedical research is done.

Our location, chosen specifically for its access to a wide array of diverse animal models, enables the comparison of biological processes across species. Early 20th century scientists such as Homer Smith and E.K. Marshall pioneered this approach at MDIBL, making seminal discoveries in the kidney studying a variety of evolutionarily distant organisms.

Today MDIBL’s rich tradition of fostering a collegial, informal and intellectual research culture continues to attract some of the worlds most creative and inventive scientists. Our vibrant resident, adjunct, and visiting research programs, along with dozens of courses, conferences and symposia, position MDIBL as a powerful scientific nexus for research and education.

Scientists and students at MDIBL work in three highly interactive research centers –the Kathryn W. Davis Center for Regenerative Biology and Medicine, the Martha and Wistar Morris Center for Environmental Health Sciences, and the Jean and John Boylan Center for Cellular and Molecular Physiology.

Within these Centers, scientists from multiple disciplines interact, exchange ideas and address biomedical problems in innovative ways.

At MDIBL we are committed to fostering a collaborative, multi-disciplinary research environment that eliminates institutional boundaries, challenges long-held scientific dogmas, and inspires new ways of thinking.