International research projects

https://maristem.eu/

COST Action CA16203 “Stem cells of marine/aquatic invertebrates: from basic research to innovative applications” (MARISTEM)

The primary objective is to foster the study of marine/aquatic invertebrate stem cells (MISCs) for innovative ideas relevant to various biomedical disciplines. The Action aims at consolidating and strengthening the fragmented European MISC community, and integrating the MISC field with biomedical disciplines. Specific objectives are as

follows:

research.

This action will provide a cohesive new framework that will increase European competitiveness in stem cell research and marine biotechnology (blue technology), as the identification and culture of stem cells from marine/aquatic invertebrates open the possibility for ambitious industrial programs for the exploitation of cellular processes/molecules relevant to human health and of interest to the cosmetics sector, fine industries, agriculture and more.

This action will lead to a major socio-economic impacts both in the short and long term and can contribute to change public perception (and that of policy maker) of marine/aquatic invertebrates towards a full awareness of the importance of marine biodiversity (and its conservation) as well as of marine stem cell phenomena from various points of view.

The action has a wide geographical network involving 38 institutions from 22 countries (21 COST countries and 1 NNC). In the network there are universities, research institutes and 2 SMEs. Contacts and collaborations with additional biotech industries will be encouraged for technology transfer and the exploitation of results of marine/aquatic stem cell investigation in the fields of biomedicine and biotechnology in order to reduce the gaps between academic research and industry, and improve the European capacity to generate commercial opportunities.

http://www.didactinet.com/data/compil/14349B16ECCA474B81863679E3CAC80/default.htm

N° COGE CT 2004 505403 6th FP6 - Implementation of High-throughput Genomic Approaches to investigate the functioning of Marine Ecosystems and the Biology of Marine Organisms

The overall aim of this network is to set up and develop a European Network of Excellence, referred to as "Marine Genomics Europe", for the implementation of high-throughput genomic approaches in the biology of marine organisms. "Marine Genomics Europe" will promote, develop, and spread throughout the European Union a broad range of genomic approaches, to investigate a wide range of questions related to the functioning of marine ecosystems and to the biology of marine organisms.

With this aim in view, we propose to group and network experts in genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics from several Centres of Excellence in genomics in Europe with marine biologists who can make use of high-throughput genomics data. This will involve the dedication and the development of common research infrastructures, both in genomics and in marine biology. Joining together these distinct scientific communities will establish Europe's lead in marine genomics.

 

 http://www.corila.it/

Scientific Research and Safeguarding of Venice

CORILA Research programs 2000-2003, 2004-2006 correspond to activities promoted by the Special Laws for Venice and aims at providing concrete results, scientific excellence as well as relevance to specific queries emerging from policy makers and public administration. CORILA's Research Programme is based upon 4 thematic areas, Economics, Architecture and Cultural heritage, Environmental processes, Organisation and dissemination of data and broken into diverse research lines.

Each line is assigned to research groups via a selection process which determines the best local scientific resources as well as capacity for collaboration with international scientific institutions. The tematic area Organisation and dissemination of data is carried out by CORILA.

CORILA coordinates the research work, also facilitating effective interdisciplinary scientific exchange.

First Research Program (2001-2003): 70 institutions and organisations have been involved altogether, including 18 from abroad; human resources equate to 3000 man-months over three years. The Dipartimento di Biologia - Università di Padova participated as a partner in the topic "Environmental processes", line "Biodiversity in the Venice lagoon" with the following objectives.

The coastal lagoons are environments subjected to remarkable fluctuations in many characteristics such as salinity, temperature, nutrient concentration, hydrodynamic conditions. The lagoonal species have evolved a very wide tolerance to the environmental variation while the habitat availability and resource partitioning mainly affect their distribution patterns. Thus the organisms living in coastal lagoons emphasize some of the lagoonal features that are biologically important. The present proposal focuses on the study of the biodiversity in the lagoon of Venice at the genetic, species, population and community levels. The aim is to achieve a better comprehension of the role that biodiversity play in determining the structure and function of the whole ecosystem and to provide a data set that could be taken into consideration in any decision making process regarding the management of the Venice lagoon. In this study seagrass meadows, macrobenthos- and fish community are considered as key-stone levels of the ecosystem, being the main structural components and major trophic links in the food web. The attention to aspects related to biodiversity in the lagoon of Venice has been often neglected and the available data are of fragmented nature. Time series data on fish community are almost lacking; the more recent data on the macrobenthic fauna on wide spatial scale go back to ’60s; only in the ’90s the seagrass distribution has been mapped. The abundance and diversity of both fish and macrobenthic species related to different phytal habitats will be investigated. Set of variables will be measured on a temporal and spatial scales to identify the microhabitats and to assess their availability and use. In selected species, at the genetic and population levels, molecular, biochemical, cellular markers will be detected as predictors of the possible loss in biodiversity. Groups of species that exploit the same class of resources -guilds- will represent the basic organization of ecological assemblages by combining functional aspects of community formation together with ecological factors. Guilds become an useful tool for any conservation action such as ustanaible exploitation of resources, impact evaluation of introduced alloctonous species, sensitive habitat preservation.

Second Research Program (2004-2006): CORILA aims to focus on possible scenarios on the future of the Lagoon, in line with the evolution of planning for the tidal regulation and other works for environmental protection. The program consists of 16 research lines all within the three thematic areas already mentioned. All aim to provide solutions to concrete issues faced by administrations responsable for safeguarding the Lagoon. The Dipartimento di Biologia - Università di Padova participated as a partner in the topic "Environmental processes", line "Ecological quality indexes, biodiversity and environmental management for lagoon areas" with the aim to identify indicators at different level of biodiversity, useful for routinely applications. The obtained results concern indicators at level of:

•        Community: bio-index based on Botryllus macrofouling community.

•        Population: genetic structure of the crustacean decapod Carcinus aestuarii

•        Individual: measures of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in C. aestuarii

•        Cell: Levels of Apoptosis and DNA breaks in the mollusc bivalve  Mytilus galloprovincialis

•        Molecule: Differential expression of hemocyanin (respiratory proteins) in C. aestuarii. Level of vitellogenin in mollusc bivalves Tapes philippinarum e Cerastoderma glaucum

The analysis and the interpretation of collected data and their expression using common biodiversity indexes allowed the development of an environmental index which relates biodiversity indexes and physic-chemical parameters.

In particular, the Ascidian Biology Lab considers the temporal and biotic evolution of ecological succession of the hard substratum macrofouling in various stations of the southern lagoon for one year. From the analysis and processing of collected data, a change in the climax of the succession is evident as compared to data of twenty years ago: dominant species, once represented by mussels, today are substituted by ascidians, both solitary and compound, most of them belonging to the family botryllidae, which gives the name of “Botryllus community” to this biocoenosis at the ecological equilibrium. The development of this community is negatively affected by the presence of new antifouling paints, able to disturb the community and select other dominant species.

 http://www.obs-vlfr.fr/~eurapp/

European Commission Contract no. MAS3-CT98-0161 - The Impact of Appendicularians in European Marine Ecosystems

(Duration: September 1, 1998 - August 31, 2001)

The EURAPP project represents a multidisciplinary effort aiming to improve the knowledge on the ecological role of distinct Appendicularian species in the marginal seas of Europe.The general objective of the EURAPP project is to improve our knowledge about the ecological role of distinct appendicularian species in representative marginal seas of Europe, in relation to the flux of colloidal and particulate organic matter, and in relation to the structure, dynamics and resilience of important components in the marine plankton community as a whole.

Specific objectives are:

1. To determine the spatial and temporal distribution, the biodiversity and the population dynamics of appendicularians related to the environmental changes in the marginal seas of Europe.

2. To study the role of appendicularians in transformation of organic matter and cycling of elements in the seas.

3. To describe the functioning of appendicularians at organism level in controlled conditions.

4. To determine the importance of appendicularians as predators and as prey in regard to their particular nutritional behaviour and adaptive capacity.

5. To model the population dynamics and the ecophysiology of appendicularians.

The Ascidian Biology Lab of the Dipartimento di Biologia - Università di Padova considered this topics:

Growth rate, generation time and fecundity in appendicularians: the development of the male gonad of Oikopleura dioica, the unique species with separate sexes was analysed with a detailed ultrastructural study.

Digestive capacity, gut transit and assimilation in appendicularians: the digestive tract of Oikopleura dioica, Oikopleura albicans, Oikopleura longicauda, Fritillaria pellucida, Kowalevskia tenuis and Kowalevskia oceanica has been reconstructed and compared by means of seriated thick sections. The cytology of segments has been analysed under electron microscope revealing interesting cell specialisations indicative of particular physiological roles such as digestion, absorption, food propulsion, ion/liquid exchange, lipid storage and so on.