Our vision is to enhance the Caribbean way of life to empower precision medicine and conserve our picturesque environment. We have chosen to start expanding genomic capacity in Bermuda first, with the launch of our first biodiversity conservation project on the national bird, the Bermuda cahow. 

A thriving species with over a million strong, they were believed to be extinct by the 1620s. However 36 birds were found 330 years later in Castle Harbour, making it one of approximately 350 “Lazarus species” in the world. Dr David Wingate, a world renowned Bermudian scientist, dedicated his life’s work to restoring their population. With his invaluable consultation, the Cahow Genome Project was birthed in 2020.

Genomics provides effective tools to characterize biodiversity, with publicly available reference genomes greatly assisting biodiversity assessment, conservation, and restoration efforts by providing evidence for scientifically informed management decisions. Phase 1 of this project aims to create a high-quality reference genome to better understand cahow health, determine genetic diversity, and track the findings over successive generations.