Unit 1

WP1: Environmental Genetics – Genomics 

Increased anthropogenic pressures and the climate crisis have brought about major and worrying changes in the functioning of marine ecosystems and the services they provide. Therefore, the highest quality and current production of knowledge regarding the complexity of these systems is considered imperative. The present project responds to this need by improving a holistic approach to the study and interpretation of marine biodiversity in three guidelines. The first concerns the climate crisis following direct anthropogenic interventions (such as the Suez Canal, 1869), which favored the invasion of Red Sea species into the Mediterranean (Lesbian migration) and the shift in the balance of ecosystems. The approach is done by applying population and comparative genomic methods. The second concerns the effects of the climate crisis on marker organisms (marine mollusks) which are investigated in both natural and experimental conditions with short-term and long-term response methods (micro-tomography methods, epigenetic mechanisms and genomic landscape respectively). The third concerns the improvement of the access to the benthic dividing layer of the continental shelf with new sampling methods. At the same time, the use of both classical and genomic methods (DNA barcoding / metabarcoding) for the study of biodiversity and the investigation of natural and biogeochemical parameters, give a more comprehensive approach to the interaction of the depth through the water-separating surface.

Objectives of subsection 1.1 (WP1.1)

  •       The study at the genome level of lesbian immigrants to understand the evolutionary processes that take place during the invasion.
  •       The study at the level of the genome of the Seriola dumerilli, one of the new fish farming fish with rapid growth and the creation of a database available for future applications of genetic improvement of the species.

Objectives of subsection 1.2 (WP1.2)

  •       Comparative morphology with the use of micro-CT limestone structures in marine molluscs after subjecting them to different experimental conditions (reduced pH and increased temperature), according to the climate change scenarios.
  •   Investigation of the epigenemic effect of small or microRNAs in individuals of a species of marine mollusk that have undergone temperature and pH changes.
  •   Study of the genomics of the marine landscape of a species of marine mollusk, with the correlation of genomic patterns with environmental parameters and a description of the degree of communication (regions) between regions, the parameters that affect it and the adaptability of populations to change.

Objectives of subsection 1.3 (WP1.3)

  •       The investigation of the diversity of the benthic separating layer of the continental shelf of the Gulf of Heraklion using a new method of benthic sampling with the conversion of a hyperbolic sleigh in order to simulate the “natural” resuscitation of organic and surface components. The assessment of diversity will be done using classical methods of taxonomy and study of biocommunities and with modern genomic techniques, while at the same time the changes of physical and biogeochemical parameters will be studied.

Unit 2

WP2: AQUACULTURE

Aquaculture constitutes the fastest growing industry of animal – sourced products in the world. The average annual growth rate since 1970 is close to 10%, when the corresponding average growth rate for fisheries and land animal production is much lower. About 50% of fish intended for human consumption comes from fish farming, while the growing demand for fish in the coming years is expected to be met by fish farming. Fish farming is also considered one of the most environmentally friendly food production practices. Its products are the most efficient method of producing animal protein. In recent years, Greece, responding in a timely manner to the emerging challenges and prospects in the production of aquaculture products, has shown an impressive growth in this sector and has grown at a pace that has made it one of the largest producers of sea bream and sea bass in the wider Mediterranean. For its viability, however, the industry is now called upon to address a variety of productive issues, mainly related to disease, nutrition and farmed fish breeding. In particular, the need to find new and effective antimicrobials, the pressures exerted by the production of fish nutrition on natural stocks of fish populations and the search for alternatives (side effects), but also the improvement of fish breeding technology are some of the most important industries. These priorities are covered in this section with three guidelines. The first concerns the evaluation of new antimicrobials for the treatment of serious pathological conditions in the breeding of marine fish. The second relates to alternative fish feeds for sustainable fish farming and the study of anti-nutritional agents. The third is based on improving the production of farmed fish sperm and assessing its quality using Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA).

Objectives of subsection 2.1 (WP2.1)

  • The chromatographic analysis of specific antimicrobials (florfenicol, praziquantel) with modern detection methods after their administration to farmed fish. 

Objectives of subsection 2.2 (WP2.2)

  • Determining levels of selected ANTs before and after the fish feed production process, by extrusion and studying the effects of ANTs on weight gain, food exploitation and health of the species under test. The results of the project will contribute to the nutritional improvement of sustainable food sources of Mediterranean farmed fish. 

Objectives of subsection 2.3 (WP2.3)

  •  The improvement of systems for simulating environmental conditions (temperature and water quality) in farmed marine fish breeders, the application of methods to improve sperm production in existing (eg skull) and emerging (eg Greater amberjack) farmed species and the development of automated the use of Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA).

Unit 3

WP3: HORIZONTAL PLATFORMS FOR DATA PRODUCTION, STORAGE, ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION

The general objective of this Unit is the development and distribution of horizontal platforms for the production, storage, analysis and dissemination of data from IMBBC to its researchers, the scientific community and stakeholders. Horizontal platforms are those horizontal infrastructures of the Institute, which are developed and used as scientific tools and are promoters of scientific knowledge and at the same time axes of development of the Institute. Their functional role is to offer users unique research services, often online and at multiple levels of daily research operation and practice.

Objectives of subsection 3.1 (WP3.1)

  • The support of the individual research teams from modern information systems, which will allow the interoperability and synthesis of data, methods and analyzes of each group.
  • · The collection of metadata and biodiversity data from IMBBC, marked according to proposed scientific standards and their registration in both local and global databases

Objectives of subsection 3.2 (WP3.2 Targeted Proteomics)

  • Comparison of existing bioinformatics tools for targeted proteomics.
  • Creation of a Standard Operating Procedure for the development of targeted proteomics methods that will allow the study of enzymatic processes even in complex microbial systems (targeted metaproteomics).