PHOTO CREDIT: Cristo Rey Brooklyn High School
PHOTO CREDIT: Jamaal Dozier (via Good Shepherd Services)
Gerstner Philanthropies focuses on biomedical research, educational opportunities, environmental sustainability, and assistance for people who have suffered a temporary setback and could use a “helping hand” to restore their equilibrium.
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Bioengineering a world beyond plastics: Spotlight on SPEEDR
April 27, 2026
At the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Dr. Peter Nguyen and his team are advancing SPEEDR, an innovative approach to building circularity into plastic life cycles. SPEEDR focuses on engineering microbes that can both degrade commonly used PET plastics and convert the resulting materials into PHB, a fully compostable bioplastic. Using a machine learning-guided enzyme engineering approach rooted in synthetic biology, the team is developing a system in which plastics can be repeatedly broken down and rebuilt. The Wyss Institute recently spotlighted this work, underscoring its potential to create a novel circular plastic lifecycle. Gerstner Philanthropies’ support of Dr. Nguyen’s research reflects our commitment to advancing scalable, science-driven solutions to address plastic pollution.
Read more at wyss.harvard.edu
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Chaminade High School Remembers Lou Gerstner ‘59
April 21, 2026
Gerstner Philanthropies acknowledges Chaminade High School’s recent piece honoring our founder, Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. We are grateful to the Chaminade community for sharing this reflection. As noted, Mr. Gerstner emphasized intellectual rigor, moral responsibility, and teamwork; principles that remained central to his longstanding connection to the school and to his efforts to expand access to quality education for all students.
Read the Full Feature at chaminade-hs.org
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Reflections on Helping Hands
Lou Gerstner shares the origin of and his vision for the emergency grants program, lessons learned over the past decade, and his belief in the critical importance of the work.
Watch the video