NAPLES, 28 June 2022. The Anton Dohrn Zoological Station inaugurates the new headquarters of the Department of Eco-sustainable Marine Biotechnologies inside the Molosiglio dock in Naples. This is the first structure on the national scene entirely dedicated to marine biotechnologies aimed at an eco-sustainable approach.

This new reality uses the interdisciplinary skills of highly trained researchers in marine biotechnology, biology, ecology, chemistry and marine biochemistry. The headquarters will be able to use samples of marine organisms taken by the Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources – RIMAR.

One of the main objectives of the research he carries out, through interaction with pharmaceutical companies, is the identification and production of new molecules of marine origin, characterised by pharmacological properties beneficial for the treatment of human diseases. Cell extracts from different types of marine organisms are tested to purify and isolate natural marine products to be used as possible anticancer, anti-infectious and anti-inflammatory drugs, or as adjuvants for vaccines or for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Furthermore, the Department of Marine Biotechnology is at the forefront of identifying new solutions to prevent and reduce the damage caused by anthropogenic pollution, which jeopardises the integrity of the biodiversity of marine ecosystems, through the study and application of strategies such as bioremediation that use natural microorganisms to degrade or sequester pollutants present in contaminated areas. In this context, the Department is the coordinator of the LIFE SEDREMED research project, funded by the European Commission, focused on remediation through the use of microorganisms capable of degrading the contaminants present in the sediments of the Bagnoli-Coroglio industrial area.