The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN, http://www.szn.it), National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, is the oldest research institution in Italy (founded in 1872) and was the first Marine Research Institution non-belonging to a University. SZN is the largest marine biology research center in Italy, hosting over 200 researchers. Its core mission, indeed, is to understand the marine biological systems and the evolution of marine life to improve the eco-sustainable use of marine resources. 
SZN activities are devoted to both basic and applied research in marine biology and ecology, showing a highly multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach (spanning from ecology, oceanography, genetics, cell and developmental biology, physiology, neuroscience, behavioural biology, microbiology, zoology, biotechnology and botany), developed through the most advanced technologies.