Marine organisms: genomics, development and evolution

Departments involved:
"Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms" (BEOM) - leader
"Research Infrastructure for Marine Biological Resources" (RIMAR)

SZN is recognized internationally for the expertise and contributions to the understanding of the biology of marine organisms, which represent ideal models of study in different research areas such as developmental biology, reproduction and development, up to pre-clinical testing. Along with the strong tradition of the SZN in the study of marine organisms in the Mediterranean, the SZN will propose novel models for multidisciplinary studies covering different aspects of basic and applied research.

The marine organisms investigated by SZN will represent a new generation of "model organisms", which will provide a new momentum in biological and bio-medical research, by contributing to i) the understanding of how complex marine life has evolved; ii) how to protect marine biodiversity, iii) how to expand the Blue Growth and Blue Economy, from the discovery of new bioactive molecules to the development of sustainable fisheries.

Three main objectives have been identified:

Objective 1: Sequencing the genome of 100 "model" organisms of the Mediterranean Sea
Objective 2: Origin and evolution of developmental mechanisms in deuterostomes
Objective 3: Biological plasticity of marine organisms