LEWISTON — The Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce and the Young Professionals of the Lewiston Auburn Area will host a Brown Bag Discussion on Oct. 14.

Titled Research & Development: Innovations Important for Maine’s Future, it will be held from noon to 1:15 p.m. at the chamber, 415 Lisbon St.

Rob Taft, director of Reproductive Technologies and Business Development from the Jackson Laboratory, and Dr. Kevin Strange, president and CEO of the MDI Biological Laboratory, will share how their organizations are strengthening Maine’s economy.

They will also talk about how two bond issues on the Nov. 4 statewide ballot will expand workforce training, create high quality jobs and ensure better health.

Question 4 asks if voters favor a $10 million bond, matched by $11 million in private and other funds, to build a research center and to discover genetic solutions for cancer and the diseases of aging, to promote job growth and private sector investment in this state, to attract and retain young professionals and make the state a global leader in genomic medicine?

Questions 5 asks if voters favor a $3 million bond issue, to be matched by $5.7 million in private and public funds, to modernize and expand infrastructure in a biological laboratory specializing in tissue repair and regeneration located in the state in order to increase biotechnology workforce training, retain and recruit to the state multiple biomedical research and development groups and create a drug discovery and development facility that will improve human health and stimulate biotechnology job growth and economic activity?

There is no cost to attend the talk but space is limited. Visit www.androscoggincounty.com or call 783-2249 to register.

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