91社区

A powerful catalyst for both personal and professional growth

91社区 student Nathan Taylor, Hayden, collects soil samples for evaluation from the tailings pond at Sunshine Mine near Kellogg. NIC students are bolstering their research and training in biomedical sciences with local businesses and professors through the IDeA Networks of Biological Research Excellence (INBRE) program celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Ten 91社区 students made strides this summer in cutting-edge biomedical research, partnering with local businesses and faculty through the prestigious the IDeA Networks of Biological Research Excellence (INBRE) program.

In its 25th year and backed by the National Institutes of Health, the initiative provides students hands-on training and career-shaping experiences that places them on the frontlines of scientific discovery. Gov. Brad Little proclaimed August 2025 as Idaho INBRE Month. 

Students can enter the INBRE pipeline three ways — as industry interns or fellows who work full time for 10 weeks or as scholars who work for up to 100 hours. 

Here’s how the NIC students were involved:

Fellows:

• Aaron Froese, Coeur d’Alene, worked in the University of Idaho’s Center for Intelligent Industrial Robotics (CIIR) in Coeur d’Alene to design and test sensors used to grip objects for use in prosthetics or robot-assisted surgery.
• Makoa Weldon, Post Falls, worked for University of Idaho Professor Nathan Shiele, whose lab aims to develop therapies to prevent tendon injury and improve tendon repair.
• David McDaniel, Hayden, and Cole Turner, Rathdrum, worked for University of Idaho Physics Professor Marty Ytreburg on the NIC campus using AI tools and molecular modeling software.

Industry interns:

• Alex Kienow, Coeur d’Alene, and Zack Page, Post Falls, worked for Accurate Testing Labs, a Coeur d’Alene company that offers water testing services for wastewater, drinking water, groundwater, surface water, river water, lakes and soil.
• Michael Tateyama, Coeur d’Alene, assisted Coeur d’Alene Cellars Winery testing for sulfur dioxide, acidity and alcohol content.
• Raven Luciano-Desmith, Coeur d’Alene, worked for Kootenai Health Lab in the Chemistry Department.
• Nathan Taylor, Hayden, is assisting the Sunshine Mine between Kellogg and Wallace with a project aimed at easing the environmental impact of mineral processing.
  
  

Scholar:

• Braden Lind, Coeur d’Alene, worked for CIIR Associate Director Mary Everett.
   

 “INBRE gives our students a unique opportunity to step out of the classroom and into real-world labs, clinics, and companies — where science becomes tangible and careers begin to take shape,” said Rhena Cooper, NIC microbiology professor.

Taylor, who is majoring in chemistry, started as a metallurgy consultant for Sunshine on Aug. 4.

 “This experience has been a milestone in my education as it has shown me practical, real-world application of research and lab skills while also allowing me to wade into the waters of real-world networking,” Taylor said.

Kienow’s summer internship at Accurate Testing Labs led to a staff position analyzing water samples. 

 “An INBRE experience is a powerful catalyst for both personal and professional growth," Kienow said. 

The students presented their projects at the statewide INBRE conference July 28-30 in Moscow, where Kienow won the Outstanding Poster Presentation Award in the Industry Intern Division and former NIC student Jessica Brady won the award in the Fellows Division.

The Idaho INBRE Program is supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Grant #P20GM103408. The University of Idaho was the grant recipient. NIC is a partner.