Nature and Environment

The Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry pursues the study of natural substances with the aim of understanding their ecological role and their phyletic and geographical distribution in nature. Traditionally, the Institute has been dedicated to the exploration of marine chemical diversity and the study of chemical factors that influence the marine environment. In particular, the activities include the study of marine and extreme ecosystems through chemical research and deals with the interactions that allow their structuring and functioning, in order to develop tools for the sustainable exploitation and protection of biodiversity linked to benthic and planktonic environments. The approaches for studying these issues include the observation of species in situ, carried out through underwater exploration campaigns and collection of benthic organisms both locally and internationally.

The field of natural products also includes the characterization and analysis of phytocomplexes, the application and taxonomic implications of essential oils, the typification through the study of the metabolic profiles of typical crops and commercially relevant plants.

In the microbiological field, the ICB has a recognized experience in the study of marine microalgae, especially bacteria and archaea from extreme environments, including polar and volcanic areas. In this context, the research is aimed at the isolation of halophilic, psychrophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms, at the production of biomass and maintenance of different stock cultures for various laboratory uses of bacteria, archaea and microalgae, at the study of the growth kinetics of different organisms.

The institute is committed to the development of technologies to promote the study of biotic interactions in natural environments through the isolation of natural products, biochemical techniques, microbiological approaches and ecological assays.

The main technological areas of interest fall into: