Making the Invisible Visible: From Ocean Expeditions to Actionable Solutions

​A Masterclass on Micro- and Nanoplastics with Sail & Explore and the University of Bern

Discover what the ocean is telling us, and what we are only beginning to understand.

Plastic particles exist at every scale in our oceans, including sizes so small they’re barely measurable. Below a certain threshold, particles smaller than the width of a human hair, science is only just beginning to see clearly. What lives in that invisible fraction, and what does it mean for our oceans, our food, and our health?

This morning event brings together a Swiss scientific expedition program and a Bay Area community with the curiosity, expertise, and drive to find out. Sail & Explore and the University of Bern have developed remarkable tools and methods to reach where conventional science has not yet gone — sailing the world’s oceans with citizen researchers who collect data on the smallest plastic particles ever measured at sea, and bringing those samples back to a laboratory that turns field data into new knowledge and practical tools for industry and research.

At the University of Bern, the first nano-sized plastic reference materials are being made, to support experiments to find and characterize ocean-sourced nanoplastics — providing insight into the invisible fraction of plastics in our oceans.

During SF Climate Week, Dr. Roman Lehner — co-founder of Sail & Explore and principal investigator at the University of Bern — joins Swissnex San Francisco for a curated conversation. Through scientific presentation, and open discussion, we will explore what it means to make the invisible visible — and what it looks like to build the partnerships that turn new knowledge into shared action.

Are you looking for sustainable solutions in your industry? Do you wonder if microplastics are present in your industry, products, or procedures? Or are you curious about where this research could take us — and how you might be part of it? This curated discussion is for you.

Join us for a morning of discovery, exchange, and new connections — where Swiss scientific expertise meets Bay Area ingenuity, and where the right people find each other.

Program9:30am - Doors Open10:00am - Opening Words10:10am - Discussion and Audience Q&A11:00am - Networking Breakfast12:00pm - Doors Close

Speaker

Dr. Roman Lehner, Principe Investigator Uni Bern / CEO & Scientific Project Leader Sail & Explore, University of Bern / Sail & Explore Association

Dr. Preston Sutton, Operations Manager Sail & Explore

​​​About Swissnex in San FranciscoSwissnex in San Francisco is an initiative of the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Our vision at Swissnex in San Francisco is to connect tomorrow by empowering the next generation of innovators to collaborate and create futures where the planet and society thrive.By attending our events, you agree to adhere to our event rules.