From October 27-30, 2025, the II International School “The Systems Biology approach to discover marine life: from a big eye to a microscopic picture” was held at the Zoological Station of Naples (SZN) and the Darwin-Dohrn Museum. It was organized by six SZN staff members from three different Departments:
- - Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department: Dr. Valeria di Dato, Dr. Ida Orefice, Dr. Angela Sardo, Dr. Arianna Smerilli;
- - Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms Department: Dr. Rossella Annunziata;
- - Integrative Marine Ecology Department: Dr. Lucia Campese
During the summer school, four distinct sessions were offered, each led by highly esteemed experts in their respective fields. The sessions included:
- Biodiversity and Ecological Interactions
- Omics Approaches for Systems Biology
- Evolutionary Genomics and EcoEvoDevo
- Biotech Applications/Synthetic Biology
Each session was structured into two main components: theoretical lessons in the morning, followed by practical sessions in the afternoon that focused on applying the concepts learned earlier in the day.
The school aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of biological systems through an interdisciplinary approach, integrating various scientific areas with technological, experimental, and bioinformatic skills. Building on this holistic perspective, the school offered participants both basic and advanced knowledge in Biodiversity, Ecological Interactions, Evolutionary Genomics, and Omics disciplines. This integrated approach was applied to ocean studies for EcoEvoDevo research and Biotech applications.
Thirty-one students from nearly every part of the world attended the school in a highly stimulating and interactive manner.
Throughout the duration of the school, we had the pleasure of hosting teachers of exceptional scientific importance, both external and affiliated with the A. Dohrn Zoological Station. The historic location of the Zoological Station, along with the Darwin-Dohrn Museum and the Naples Aquarium, provided a delightful setting for the event.
