Echinoderms: model organisms for marine environmental monitoring and development of new emerging technologies

Traditionally, our research group has been mainly involved in basic research, studying the molecular mechanisms underlying sea urchin embryo development, with particular interest in cell adhesion. Recently, the group interest moved towards laboratory and field studies for the assessment of cellular responses to physical and chemical stresses and for the validation of molecular markers using the sea urchin as a suitable model system. In addition, during the last 10 years we learnt how to produce sea urchin juveniles, thus beginning our exciting experience in aquaculture. Such interest has many implications for studies on: the biology of larval growth and metamorphosis, the use of larvae in ecotoxicology and the development of suit- able conditions for the commercial exploitation of the Mediterranean sea urchin species Paracentrotus lividus. Current research lines include: the understanding of basic mechanisms involved in biomineralization processes of sea urchin embryos and adults, stem cells in marine invertebrates, identification/purification of biologically active molecules from echinoderms. In the following, we will describe the "state-of- the-art" of our research projects aimed to test the cellular and molecular effects of different environmental hazards on echinoderms as model systems and to the estab- lishment of sea urchin aquaculture technology. For brevity and appropriateness we will omit basic research studies which still attract our interest.