Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

🐟 🎣 Aquaculture has outpaced wild-caught fishing and is now the fastest-growing food production system in the world. Since 2022, more farmed fish than wild fish have entered our food systems. In fact, 22% of wild-caught fish are turned into fishmeal and fish oil, most of which goes into aquaculture feed.   🔎 A recent report by our partners FAIRR Initiative explores how aquaculture feed is used, particularly for salmon, including operational, regulatory and reputational risks for aquaculture companies and their investors.   ➡️ Read the report to learn more, including the outcomes and insights from the final year of their Sustainable Aquaculture engagement: https://lnkd.in/dpNHzahK #aquaculture #investing #environmentalconservation #philanthropy #conservationmarkets #sustainablefood #sustainablefishing

🌊🐟 Big news for ocean transparency and tuna conservation: Four new countries — the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Palau, and Panama — have joined the Tuna Transparency Pledge, alongside early signatories Belize and the Federated States of Micronesia. Together, these six nations now represent more than 15% of the global tuna catch. This milestone, driven by the leadership of our partners at The Nature Conservancy, signals real global momentum just weeks ahead of the UN Ocean Conference. This outcome reflects the power of long-term partnership and shared commitment to transparent, sustainable fisheries. We’re grateful to contribute to this collective effort.

🏆 Congratulations to Samuel Skotnikov, Chanyoung Kim, and Eeshaan Prashanth — this year’s winners of the Society for Science Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)! These remarkable high school students developed Neuroflex — a brain-controlled bionic prosthetic leg that reads the wearer’s brain signals to support more natural movement. Inspired by their friend Aiden, who uses a prosthetic leg, they designed a low-cost device that not only improves comfort and mobility but also brings real-world impact within reach. The ISEF Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations award honors our co-founder’s belief that discovery-driven science can shape a better world. We’re proud to support young scientists whose work carries that legacy forward — for the good of future generations. ✨Meet the winners of the 2025 Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations: https://lnkd.in/gxG6KqKN    🎥 Watch the team explain their invention: https://lnkd.in/gJ7AuGwi 🔗 Learn more about the ISEF Gordon E. Moore Award: https://lnkd.in/gfgCsg5R #STEMeducation #ISEF2025 #InternationalScienceandEngineeringFair

Life on Earth is defined by a curious and universal stereochemical asymmetry: the sugars in DNA and RNA possess a right-handed orientation, or stereochemistry. In contrast, 19 of 20 universal amino acids found in proteins possess left-handed stereochemistry. Why? A new study in PLOS Biology by Stefano Pagliara and his colleagues sheds light on this fundamental question by exploring how the earliest cell membranes may have influenced life’s core molecular preferences — offering fresh insight into one of biology’s greatest mysteries: how life began and why its building blocks are so consistent.   🔬 The team investigated whether the left- or right-handed forms of nucleic acid sugars and amino acids could pass through membranes, offering new insights into ancient life. ✅ Certain sugar forms crossed membranes more easily. ✅ A specific set of amino acids, including alanine, also selectively passed through, especially with hybrid membranes combining traits of both archaeal and bacterial lipids. ➡️ These findings suggest that the molecular orientation life relies on today may have been shaped by the permeability of early cells or cell-like compartments, before or coincident with development of enzymes and genetic systems. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/gxbYTGKE or summary: https://lnkd.in/gF9y_MeK   University of Exeter Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Living Systems Institute (LSI), University of Exeter #sciencephilanthropy #SyntheticBiology #archaea #Evolution #stereochemistry

New data in Global Forest Watch’s analysis of tree cover loss from University of Maryland’s GLAD lab reveals the tropics saw an unprecedented level of fires in 2024, with major impacts on people’s health. Outside of the tropics, fires were also a driver of tree loss, with high levels in Canada last year. ➡️ Read the report for key insights and proposed solutions: https://gfw.global/tcl24

Our Bay Area conservation portfolio aims to preserve and enhance habitat and ecosystem function in the San Francisco Bay Area. 🌄 The portfolio provided a program-related investment to the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) to help finance the purchase of the Holthouse ranch property in South San Jose. This contributes to a permanently protected mosaic of lands for wildlife and public open space. Learn more about this investment at The Mercury News: https://lnkd.in/g7uQwRQ3 Dan Winterson Carly Colvin #philanthropy #conservation #openspace #wildlife

💡 ⚡ Over a decade ago, Moore Foundation grantees Jay Nadeau at McGill University and Chris Lindensmith at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposed the high-risk idea of developing a novel digital holographic microscope capable of detecting signs of life in extreme planetary environments. 🚀 Their pioneering prototyple has led to the Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System (ELVIS) — a compact, autonomous, high-resolution microscope en route to the International Space Station (ISS). 🛰️ Aboard the station the system will be used to conduct experiments not feasible under Earth’s gravity and will help scientists better understand how microbial life responds to long-term microgravity. This mission is an important step toward the systems potential use in future space exploration missions.   Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gkBWx8Aq Gary B Greenburg #philanthropy #ISS #sciencephilanthropy 

The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) reflects on 15 years of their Science and Technology Fellows program. Their insights continue to provide a useful roadmap for other states to advance programs that help bring scientific expertise to policymaking in new ways. Important findings: ✅ Fostering relationships and trust between scientists and legislators is essential for meaningful collaboration. ✅ A formal program structure supports fellows in navigating the fast-paced, complex policy environment. ✅ Ongoing evaluation and adaptation of the fellowship program strengthens its value and increases interest.   📰 Read the full article in Issues in Science and Technology: https://lnkd.in/gJ_VNUPG #fellowship #scipol #STEM #philanthropy #scienceresearch

⚛️  Quantum science has challenged our thinking for over a century — and continues to advance in surprising and powerful ways. In celebration of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (2025) #IYQ, our recent newsletter explores how researchers we support are expanding the frontiers of experimental physics. Highlights include: ⚡ A reflection on quantum’s past and future from program director Dusan Pejakovic, Ph.D. ⚡ A deep dive into the research of three Experimental Physics Investigators. ⚡ A look inside the lab of condensed matter physicist Vidya Madhavan, Ph.D. who explores the world of particles at atomic scales. 📩 Check out the full newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gvN69_wq Dusan Pejakovic Amalia Fernandez Panella, PhD Thi Truong Theodore Hodapp Catherine Mader Tess L. Trity Pourbahrami #QuantumScience #ExperimentalPhysics #STEM #sciencephilanthropy #YearOfQuantum #MoorePhysics

Our colleagues Adam Jones, Ph.D., Jon Kaye and Harvey Fineberg discuss the important role of nonpartisan state legislature science and technology policy fellowships in this month’s Issues in Science and Technology. These fellowships help support the needs of elected officials in state legislatures who make thousands of critical decisions each year on science and technology matters. The fellowship programs: ✅ Enlist highly credentialed scientists, doctors and engineers with training on communicating scientific information to policymakers. ✅ Support policymakers on a broad range of issues such as artificial intelligence, transportation, energy systems, and wildfire risk and prevention. ✅ Provide expertise that broadens the exchange of information between scientists and policymakers to help serve Americans across the country. ✅ Utilize bespoke approaches to meet the needs, preferences and procedures of each state legislature.   📰 Read the article to learn how fellows have already made an impact in California, Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia and how the development of a national network could support policy across the U.S. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/g9UyF7KU National Conference of State Legislatures #scipol #STEM #philanthropy #scienceresearch