Aquaculture and biorefinery summer school 2016 edition
The aquaculture and biorefinery summer school, organized by the IMC Foundation and Porto Conte Ricerche, is divided into lectures and laboratory activities, which will take place over a period of 6 days (3 at the IMC Foundation and 3 at PCR).The course is open to young graduates, from national and international institutes, involved in research and production.
The educational objectives of the school concern detailed scientific issues related to the concepts of the sustainable use of products derived from marine ecosystems. Participants will receive technical and scientific instruction related to the exploitation of marine resources for human consumption and for the production of algal biomass. Participants will also learn about the sustainability and quality of fish products, the nutritional requirements of farmed species, the choice of raw materials for the formulation of feed, the many possible applications of micro and macro algae for the production of feed material, and about high-value compounds for food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical uses.
The Summer School will provide the students with a well-balanced course of lectures, hands-on activities and visits to manufacturing facilities and laboratories. Participants will have the opportunity to use the facilities of the International Marine Centre (IMC) for the production of grey mullets, sea urchins and various microalgal species produced in photobioreactor systems. At the Laboratory of Blue Biotechnology in Porto Conte Ricerche (PCR), students will be trained in the use and maintenance of Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) for the growth of sea bream, for the breeding of other fish species and for studying the digestibility of feed. The participants will also have the opportunity to practise different chemical laboratory techniques (classical and instrumental techniques, experimental protocols, etc.) concerning the analysis of macrocomposition and the lipid extraction of polar metabolites.
Fondazione IMC – Centro Marino Internazionale
The IMC is a research institution of the Technology Park of Sardinia, whose main objective is to promote scientific research aimed at the proper management of bio-resources and the Mediterranean marine environment. IMC develops research focusing on sustainable aquaculture methods. Researchers carry out studies on the reproduction of fish and invertebrates, aimed at restocking to increase productivity in lagoons and coastal areas. Within the activities of the Science and Technology Park, IMC carries out studies related to the potential of microalgae as an essential production element in aquaculture and for environmental applications. The IMC also develops research aimed at the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems and bio-resources based on the identification of the processes of interaction between human activities and the natural environment. These interactions can have an impact on relevant organisms and habitats. The IMC is particularly interested in developing management strategies in order to preserve the quality of the environment and biodiversity. The contribution of the IMC Foundation – International Marine Centre to this proposal is linked to its laboratory research on the reproduction of marine organisms which are of commercial interest. This research began in 2000. In particular, interest has been paid to the influence of diet quality on the time necessary for different larval stages, resulting in the development of breeding protocols and the production of microalgae.
Porto Conte Ricerche
Porto Conte Ricerche S.r.l. (PCR) is a research centre in which the general objectives are the growth of scientific and technological skills of the local territorial system and the development of research products, through technology transfer to satisfy the constant R & D from businesses. Currently, the Research Centre is committed to achieving two main objectives: the consolidation and specialization of of logistical, hospitality and technology services for businesses (in the start-up phase), which could grow and develop competitively in the Park, thanks to the competence of the lab and of the network of Sardinian research centres connected to it. Reaching the second objective requires the placement of the facility as a reference point in Sardinia and in Italy for industrial research in the fields of Food Technology and Biotechnology. In both sectors, PCR conducts activites involved with research, technological innovation, training and technology transfer. The contribution of PCR to this proposal is linked to the experience they have gained since 2006 in the aquaculture field, with particular reference to the characterisation of the qualitative analytical parameters of fish products, aquaculture, and raw materials used for creating feed.Supported by
http://www.sardegnaricerche.it/
In collaboration with
University of Foggia
The STAR Group for Research Unit operates in the context of University of Foggia (UNIFG), specialized in the promotion of biomass and residues as raw materials for the production of biomaterials, fine-chemicals and renewable energy. The biomass studied and researched, includes micro and macro algae, of which the STAR Research Group has a wide knowledge. In addition, special attention has been paid to the applications and analysis of sustainability criteria, to be applied along the entire production chain. The interdisciplinary approach is considered to be the most appropriate for the needs of a complex research, with wide-ranging connections between the technical, environmental and even social aspects.
The contribution of UNIFG to the Scientific School is therefore linked to the teaching of Professors Monteleone and Francavilla for the part of the course concerning algal biorefinery and the bio-economy, and the study of the interdisciplinary and socio-economic aspects, as well as the environmental sustainability of all the proposed activities.
UK University of Stirling
The Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling is the top-rated aquaculture research and training department in the UK, and among the 150 best institutions in the world. It integrates research on environment, reproduction, genetics, health of aquatic organisms, feed, production systems, markets, socio-economic aspects in order to meet the wide range of challenges that aquaculture is now facing to to satisfy the current global demands. The research and training focus on the key issues relating to strategies for sustainable aquaculture, both in modern commercial markets and in developing countries, to take on the complex issues related to food security in the 21st century.
The University of Stirling’s contribution to the school is therefore linked to the teaching of Professors Carboni and Monroig for the part of the course on applied aquaculture research and on how knowledge of the biology of commercial marine species can be used to generate a profitable and sustainable business. www.aquaculture.stir.ac.uk
Program & School Material
The structure of the Summer School is such that the participants will have the opportunity to interact with the lecturers during the full duration of the summer school (during meals, breaks, and evening activities). All lecturers will stay on the same hotel during the full week. Sustainable Aquaculture- Key concepts and sustainable aquaculture at global level
- Description of the production systems used in different socio-economic contexts
- Production of traditional species and new species
- Animal feed and its sustainable raw materials
- Research in the field of reproductive physiology and nutrition of species of commercial interest
- Theoretical and practical principles of “algal biorefinery" through the integration of biological and chemical processes
- Techniques of production of microalgae (open ponds, tubular photobioreactors, flat panels, bubble columns, etc.)
- Techniques of production of macroalgae (long lines, open ponds, extensive cultivation)
- Production of "fine-chemicals" with high benefit
- Main extraction techniques currently used
- Economic / environmental sustainability and technological integration of algal biorefinery and aquaculture
- Improvement of the aquaculture industry in the direction of the bio-economy
- Use of algae as a still-poorly-valued resource (e.g. in animal feed, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, cosmetics) and "leverage" for further aquaculture development
- Management of Recirculation Aquaculture Systems (RAS)
- Analytical techniques for the characterization of samples derived from the marine ecosystems
- Management of biorefinery systems
- Classic and advanced extraction techniques
- Data analysis
schedule-lessons-summer-school
Francavilla Lecture1a 4 Luglio 2016
Francavilla Lecture1b 4 Luglio 2016
Carboni Lecture 4 Luglio 2016
Francavilla Lecture 5 Luglio 2016
Monroig Lecture 1_ 5 Luglio 2016
Monroig Lecture 2_ 5 Luglio 2016
Anedda Lecture_ 6 Luglio 2016
Francavilla Lecture 6 Luglio 2016
Monroig Lecture 3_6 Luglio 2016
Welcome Scientific School
Carboni Lecture 1_7 Luglio 2016
Carboni Lecture 2_7 Luglio 2016
Monteleone Lecture_ 7_8 Luglio 2016
Anedda Lecture1_8 Luglio 2016
Anedda_Lecture2_8 Luglio 2016
Cappucinelli lecture_9 Luglio 2016
Francavilla Lecture_9 Luglio 2016
Melis Lecture_9 Luglio 2016
All materials available on request
The topics of this Summer School will be presented by the following experts:
Roberto Anedda
Currently Senior Researcher at Porto Conte Ricerche– Alghero (Italy). He earned his PhD in Chemical Science and Technology. Since 2008, he has been researcher and director of the NMR and Imaging Laboratory at Porto Conte Ricerche Srl. He works with metabolomics, characterization of lipids in fish and marine organisms, multivariate data analysis, aquaculture, fish biochemistry, food chemistry, materials chemistry, chemical physics, multi-spectroscopy technique, relaxometry and Imaging using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. He has gained experience in the study of the nutritional requirements of marine species for breeding, in the selection of raw materials for the aquaculture feed industry, in the characterization of the growth parameters and the quality of fish products.
Stefano Carboni
Currently Lecturer in Invertebrate Zoology, Institute of Aquaculture, at the University of Stirling. Teaching and research activities focused on the physiology of commercially relevant invertebrate species. MSc in Marine Biology, Universita’ delle Marche, Italy, then Assistant Fishery and Aquaculture Expert for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) project in Vietnam. MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture at the University of Stirling (2008) and PhD in sea urchin Aquaculture (2013). At the centre of his research is the enhancement of economic performances of marine invertebrate hatcheries through the development or improvement of rearing methods.
Matteo Francavilla
Currently a researcher at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Foggia and a lecturer in “General Chemistry” and “Biorefinery Models”. Graduated magna cum laude in Organic Chemistry, University of Rome “La Sapienza” (2002), PhD in Sustainable Agro-Ecosystems, University of Foggia (2008), Master’s in Natural Organic Compounds, University of Rome “La Sapienza” (2008). Researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, in Lesina (FG) from 2004 to 2007. He works with the bioremediation of aquatic ecosystems by macroalgae; extraction, purification and characterization of fine chemicals, biomaterials and bioactive compounds from algal biomass; and production of nanoparticles with marine biopolymers.
Oscar Monroig
Currently a lecturer in Fish Nutrition in the Natural Sciences Department of the University of Stirling. He obtained a BSc Honours Degree in Marine Science, University of Cadiz, Spain (1998), and a PhD in Marine Fish Nutrition (November 2006). He has extensive experience in fish nutrition and has been involved in several projects on the molecular and biochemical bases for sustainable aquaculture.
Massimo Monteleone
Associate professor in “Agronomy and Crop Science”, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia (Italy). Degree in Agricultural Science, magna cum laude (1993). Ph.D. in “Crop Productions” (1996). His main research interests are crop ecology, environmental analysis, biomass and bioenergy, modelling of agro-biological processes. His current activities relate to the unifying concept of “bioeconomy”, targeted at building a strategy to reconcile bio-based productions with the ecological harmony and the cultural heritage of the most relevant rural areas of Southern Europe.