Ocean Genome Legacy

Dr. John Benzie studies the genetic structure and evolution of natural populations and genetic improvement of cultured (aquiculture) species. His current focus is on tropical Indo-pacific species, but in the past has involved terrestrial and freshwater species. Taxonomic groups covered include crustaceans, echinoderms, finfish, mollusks and mangroves.

Sydney Brenner, one of the pioneers of molecular biology and cellular physiology, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2002 for his contribution to the understanding of genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death (apoptosis) using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as an experimental model system. In recent years Dr. Brenner has been a leader in the study of vertebrate genomics and evolution, spearheading genome sequencing projects for deeply divergent vertebrates including Pufferfish (Fugu) and Elephant Shark.

Donald J. Chiofaro formed The Chiofaro Company, a real estate development and management firm, in 1980. Mr. Chiofaro is active in civic affairs in the Boston area. He is a founder of the Boston Police Athletic League, serves on committees for Harvard College, Boston University Medical Center and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Artery Business Committee. In addition, Mr. Chiofaro has had a long-term interest and commitment to boys and girls youth sports. He has coached youth hockey, baseball, basketball and rugby in the past. Before starting his own firm, Mr. Chiofaro was Senior Vice President of the Boston development company, Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, where he directed the National Division.

Dr. Rita Colwell is Chairman of Canon US Life Sciences, Inc. and Distinguished University Professor both at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Colwell, a microbiologist and internationally recognized expert on cholera and other infectious diseases, has served as Director of the National Science Foundation and as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Washington Academy of Sciences, the American Society for Microbiology, the Sigma Xi National Science Honorary Society, and the International Union of Microbiological Societies. Dr. Colwell is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and The American Philosophical Society.

Don Comb is the founder and owner of New England Biolabs a unique scientific research and biotechnology company, and is the creator and principal benefactor of the Ocean Genome Legacy Foundation. Dr. Comb has created and contributes to numerous charitable organizations in support of the environment and the arts.

Douglas Foy is President of DIF Enterprises, a company devoted to sustainable business practices and the development of social enterprises.   Prior to founding DIF Enterprises in 2006, Mr. Foy served as the first Secretary of Commonwealth Development in the administration of Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.   In leading this "super-Secretariat",   Mr. Foy oversaw the agencies of Transportation, Housing, Environment, and Energy.   Before his service in the Romney administration, Mr. Foy served for 25 years as the President of the Conservation Law Foundation, New England's premier environmental advocacy organization.  Among other awards, Mr. Foy has received the President's Environmental and Conservation Challenge Award, the country's highest conservation award, and the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service from the Woodrow Wilson Center, the national memorial to President Wilson.  

Dr. Roberts has been a pioneer in the discovery and elucidation of restriction endonucleases and their use to unravel the mysteries of gene structure, functions and regulation. Dr. Roberts was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1993 for his contribution to the discovery of the fragmented nature (intron-exon structure) of eukaryotic genes. As Chief Scientific Officer at New England Biolabs, Dr. Roberts continues to pursue his interests in DNA modification and DNA modifying enzymes.

Dr. Wolfgang Sterrer, is the Curator of the Natural History Museum at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (BAMZ) and the former Director of the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR). As leader of the Bermuda biodiversity project, Dr. Sterrer has conducted extensive surveys of the marine fauna and flora of Bermuda.