On Tuesday 11th September 2018 the inaugural marine science symposium for the Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science (BPMS) took place at the Royal Geographical Society in London. This one-day symposium brought together scientists, students, conservationists, policymakers and Marine Protected Area (MPA) managers to listen to presentations highlighting key research being undertaken in the British Indian […]
The Impact of Rats on the Health of Coral Reefs
It has long been known that the introduction of invasive species can have a detrimental effect on native flora and fauna. Rats decimate seabird populations all around the world by eating eggs and chicks – and sometimes even adult birds. The British Indian Ocean Territory includes the Chagos Archipelago and 58 tiny islands. Some of […]
New Neuroscience Gift Will Tackle Sensory Disorders
The Bertarelli Foundation’s gift of $6.35 million to Harvard Medical School will support research to understand and treat sensory disorders The Bertarelli Foundation is further increasing its contribution to neuroscience research with a gift of $6.35 million to Harvard Medical School (HMS). Of this new gift, $5 million will support collaborative research projects focused on […]
2018 Stoke-on-Trent Literary Festival
Since its inception, the Bertarelli Foundation has been a proud supporter of the Stoke-on-Trent Literary Festival. Now in its fifth year, the Festival was initiated by then-local MP Tristram Hunt and is held at the Emma Bridgwater Factory in the city. The 2018 Festival, which ran from the 7th to the 9th of June, was […]
How do you know if a coral reef is growing or shrinking?
Dr Ines Lange, marine biologist and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Exeter, a project partner in the Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science, took part in an expedition to study the coral reefs of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Here’s her report from the very wet and windy Indian Ocean: Prof. Chris Perry and […]
Winning ventures announced at the 2018 President’s Innovation Challenge
A device toolkit that makes STEM education truly engaging, a mobile app for helping small businesses in emerging markets improve their performance, and a startup that’s revolutionising the treatment of ear infections were awarded the three top prizes in the seventh annual President’s Innovation Challenge showcase and awards ceremony at the Harvard Innovation Labs. President […]
Otter Pool opens at La Garenne
In a project funded by, among others, the Bertarelli Foundation, a new otter pool has opened at La Garenne after six months of work. A first European otter – a female – has been introduced, while a male will join her soon. The new otter area extends to over 500m² and includes a main basin […]
Five proposals win initial “catalyst” funding at Campus Biotech
Researchers from Campus Biotech were invited to develop joint projects with partner research institutes and bid for funding from the Bertarelli Foundation. The laureates have been announced, on April 11th, during the 2018 Bertarelli Symposium held at Harvard Medical School. Less than a year ago, Martin Vetterli and Ernesto Bertarelli announced the launch of the […]
Buoy ahoy!
The Bertarelli Programme in Marine Science maintains an array of acoustic receivers around four islands of the Chagos Archipelago in the British Indian Ocean Territory. This battery of listening devices picks up signals from tagged animals (mostly reef sharks) as they pass by and helps scientists build up a picture of how these important predators […]
Blog Post: Against the elements
In a final report for the Bertarelli Foundation funded expedition to the British Indian Ocean Territory, David Jacoby, a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Zoology, describes his experiences over the last few weeks: Every good story about the sea has, at its heart, the relationship between its characters, their boat and Mother Nature. Our voyage […]
Blog Post: Did curiosity kill the sharks?
In his last update from the British Indian Ocean Territory, David Curnick described some of the things they hoped to accomplish during the current Bertarelli Foundation funded expedition. Now, as his time in the Chagos Archipelago is drawing to a close, he described a worrying observation, but also a glimmer of hope for the future: We are […]
Blog Post: Being a rubber duck in the Indian Ocean!
The Bertarelli Foundation’s latest expedition to the British Indian Ocean Territory is underway with scientists planning to download data from an array of shark tracking receivers located around the Chagos Archipelago. David Curnick, postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Zoology, brings us an update on the first few days: As I write this blog we are […]