Keeping the ‘Fairy Tale’ of the Marine Biological Laboratory Alive | Nature

Cell biologist Mark Terasaki will give US$25 million of his own money to preserve the legacy of a pioneering scientific institute in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

To the people of Woods Hole in Massachusetts, and to the researchers working at the renowned 138-year-old Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) there, cell biologist Mark Terasaki has become a local celebrity. Since his US$25-million donation to the MBL was announced, people on the streets and at local shops have been stopping him and thanking him for his generous gift. For him, it was an easy decision to give back to an institution and a community that he has been a part of for more than 40 years, and one that has been a leading force in the fields of basic and marine science.

Although he is a faculty member at the University of Connecticut in Farmington, like many scientists around the globe, he rents a laboratory at the MBL every summer to do research. Many researchers see the MBL as a scientific oasis and researcher melting pot of sorts, away from the obligations of their home institutions, and a place to mentor young scholars. Read more of the article here. 

Source: Keeping the ‘Fairy Tale’ of the Marine Biological Laboratory Alive | Nature