Our team, CTWNS (Cure the White Nose Syndrome) from Pathways to Technology Hartford Magnet High School has chosen as the subject of our “Innovations in Biotechnology: Solving Global Challenges” project to fund research into the causes and effects of White Nose Syndrome in New England Bats.

This project falls under the umbrella of “Preservation of Biodiversity” as one of the “Global Challenges” of the 21st Century. “Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.” The bats of New England are mainly hibernating, insect-eating bats.

Our mission is to write a grant proposal to fund the current research into white nose syndrome being done by Marianne Moore and Thomas Kunz from Boston University. The research aims to find out if hibernating bats affected with white nose syndrome are immune compromised. In addition, our mission includes educating the public about this threat to our bat population and its potential outcomes. Finally, our mission is to educate people as to what they can do to help in the mitigation of white nose syndrome. Not only that, but also, to educate people about bats in general and how important they are to preserve because of their beneficial role in the environment and to humans.