 Current research interests are in the biology and ecology of marine invertebrates. Two main areas of investigation are ecology and molecular biology. Ecology research focuses on chemical ecology and ecological physiology. Studies on molecular biology include phylogenetics, population genetics, metagenomics and gene expression.
This multidisciplinary approach has allowed me to determine how the presence of non-native species, pollutants, global warming and punctual disturbance events affect marine invertebrates and their symbionts both at the organismal level and at the molecular level. My ultimate goal is to understand the consequences of environmental changes in coastal ecosystems, in an effort to preserve the existing natural biodiversity. From a more biotechnological point of view, this approach has permitted me to link: 1) Molecular biology research and chemistry, through the study of the genes responsible for the production of secondary metabolites and their function, and 2) Genetics and ecology, through quantification of heat shock proteins expression in potential bioindicator organisms inhabiting perturbed environments.
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