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3 main topics

Day 1: Marine Bioprospecting

9.00 – 9.30 Registration

Session Chairs: Lauritano Chiara and Coppola Daniela

9.30-9.45 Welcome by the Organising Committee and description of the Summer School events

9.45 – 10.00 Dr. de Pascale Donatella – Institutional Welcome

10.00 – 11.00 Dr. Teta Roberta – Drug Discovery Pipeline and Omics techniques

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break

11.30 – 12.30 Dr. Reyes Fernando – High Throughput Screening of microbial extracts as source of new bioactive molecules

12.30 – 12.40 Prof. Concetta Messina, President of the European Society for Marine Biotechnology  

12.40 - 13.40 Lunch

“Meet the Companies” Session

Session Chairs: Galasso Christian and Vitale Giovanni Andrea

13.40 – 14.00 Italbiotech (Dr. Bosco Diego and Dr. Sara Daniotti)

14.00 –14.30 Biosearch (Dr. Romano Giovanna)

14.30 – 15.00 MATERIAS (Prof. Nicolais Luigi)

 

Practical Session

15.00 – 17.00 Genome mining for drug discovery (Dr. Tedesco Pietro and Dr. Della Sala Gerardo)

Social event (Not included in the registration fee)

17.30 Visit to the Castello dell’Ovo and Aperitif

Day 2: Pharmaceutical, Cosmeceutical and Nutraceutical Applications

Session Chairs: Coppola Daniela and Vitale Giovanni Andrea

9.00 –10.00 Visit to the laboratories of the Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department

10.00 - 10.45 Dr. Lauritano Chiara – Drugs from the Sea

10.45 – 11.30 Dr. Galasso Christian – Bioactive pigments and Disease Prevention

11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break

12.00 – 13.00 Prof. Simes Dina – Preclinical studies of bioactive compounds using human in vitro/ex vivo models to advance drug development.

13.00 –14.00 Lunch 

“Meet the Companies” Session

Session Chairs: Galasso Christian and Vitale Giovanni Andrea

14.30 – 16.30 Visit to Arterra Bioscience (https://arterrabio.it/; transfer by local bus)

17.00 - 19.00 Walk in the streets of the historical centre of Naples

Social event (Not included in the registration fee)

 

19.30 - Pizza 

Day 3: Bioremediation, Waste Valorization and Funding Opportunity 

Session chairs: Lauritano Chiara and Vitale Giovanni Andrea

9.30 – 10.15 Dr. Denaro Renata – Bioremediation in marine environment: role of bacteria in hydrocarbons and plastic degradation

10.15 – 10.30 Dr. Melchiorre Chiara – SEDREDMED project as case study

10.30 –11.00 Funari Valerio – Sustainability in Mineral Resource Supply: prospecting and (bio)mining

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break

11.30 – 12.00 Dr. Coppola Daniela ­– “Green” pipeline development

12.00 – 13.00 Dr. D'Amora Ugo – Innovative technologies for biomaterials

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch

 

“Student presentation” Session

Session Chairs: Coppola Daniela and Galasso Christian

14.00 – 15.00 Short Poster Presentation

 

“The hard matter of research funding” Session

Session chairs: Lauritano Chiara and Vitale Giovanni Andrea

15.00 – 15.45 Dr. Kooistra Wiebe – How to steer your career towards success

 

Final event

15.45 – 16:00 Final remarks and best poster award

 

17.00 – 18.00 Visit to the Aquarium and Museum Darwin Dohrn (included in the registration fee)

 

  • Day 1: Marine Bioprospecting

The first day will focus on systematic and multidisciplinary approaches to find biocompatible components, bioactive compounds, gene clusters of biosynthetic pathways and innovative eco-sustainable processes for industrial processes. Starting point of the discovery process is usually represented by sampling and isolation of marine organisms, like bacteria, fungi, viruses, microalgae, sea plants, shellfish, sponges and other marine organisms. Relevant areas of potential applications may include medicine, processing industries, food, feed, agriculture and biofuels. The pipeline from research to commercialisation based on marine bioprospecting is often presumed to be long-term, costly and demanding on business expertise. International speakers and scientific managers of biotechnology industries will illustrate how innovative methodologies, such as new sampling strategies, innovative culture technologies, high throughput screening platforms and omics sciences, are attempting to reduce time and costs of marine bioprospecting, augmenting success rate. During the afternoon practical sessions, students will acquire essential knowledge on bioinformatic tools useful for the genome mining process.

 

  • Day 2: Pharmaceuticals, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals from the sea

Eco-sustainable and rapid processes for the discovery and production of new marine-inspired pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and functional cosmetics will be the main topic of the second day. Purified marine products and complex mixtures of bioactive compounds can be used for the creation of innovative products, for the prevention of common diseases and the reduction of the natural ageing process. Platforms for the identification of bioactivity, optimization of biomass production and prototyping of marine derived commercial products are the main issues of this research field. During the afternoon, selected students will have the chance to present their research and results; moreover, all participants will visit the Arterra Bioscience, a biotech company founded in Naples twenty years ago with the aim of developing technologies and innovative marine-inspired solutions that find application in various industrial sectors.

 

  • Day 3: Bioremediation, Waste Valorization and Funding Opportunity

Human activities produce a detrimental impact on the marine environment. Innovative bioremediation methodologies will be presented during the last day, focusing on the use of marine organisms for the reduction of most harmful contaminants and restoration of polluted marine environments. In addition, examples of biotechnological exploitation of marine waste will also be presented, through the development of sustainable protocols and innovative technologies for the extraction and use of biomaterials, with a significantly reduced impact on the environment and economy. At the same time the discussion will focus on the importance of the development of the circular economy, aimed at the use of discarded and underutilised biomass, which allows to achieve the “European Zero Waste Strategy". In the afternoon, the discussion will include more generic talks, such as funding possibilities, research infrastructures and technology transfer.

 

OFFICIAL PROGRAM

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