National Institute of Biology

Contacts

dr. Andreja Ramšak
dr. Patricija Mozetič (substitute)
prof. dr. Maja Ravnikar director
Ana Šušteršič (social media)

https://www.nib.si/

The National Institute of Biology has been a member of LifeWatch Slovenia since 2015 and contributes to LifeWatch ERIC through its National Distributed Centre. The National Institute of Biology (NIB) is the third largest public research institute in the natural sciences in Slovenia and has been operating since 1960. Its main activity continues to be basic, developmental and applied research in the terrestrial and marine environment, in the fields of life sciences, biotechnology and systems biology. Numerous activities relate to environmental issues, agriculture and nutrition, and health.

Research

The LifeWatch-Slovenia project actively involves researchers from the Marine Biology Station within the Coastal Marine Research Programme (P1-0237) and from the Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research within the Structure and function of ecosystems Programme (P1-0255).

The research concerns the application of modern genomic approaches to biodiversity research in marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.

The research is carried out at the genome level and is complemented by biogeography and evolutionary biology studies of marine,terrestrial and freshwater species, molecular taxonomy and whole community analyses (DNA barcoding and metabarcoding), monitoring with environmental DNA (eDNA metabarcoding), and the search for non-indigenous species.

In addition, at the Marine Biological Station in Piran, we have expanded our research into the field of traceability of seafood, where we are working on the development of new molecular assays.

The VIDA oceanographic buoy measures oceanographic and meteorological parameters, which are provided to the community via the Slovenian LifeWatch-ERIC website.The equipment is also used to investigate the species composition of phytoplankton and the phylogeography of the most important genera potentially responsible for harmful algal blooms (HABs).

Projects

ENVRI-FAIR

The Marine Biology Station has a long-term series of oceanographic and meteorological parameters, or EOVs (Essential Ocean Variables), which are measured as part of the VIDA oceanographic buoy and are made available to the public through various repositories. In addition to the VIDA oceanographic buoy, two HF radars (High Frequency Radar for wave and surface current monitoring) are deployed. The first HF radar is deployed over the town of Piran and forms a unit together with the HF radar deployed in Aurisina on the Italian coast. A second HF radar, located on a hill above Izola, has been installed since September 2022.

Publications

2023

KOLAREVIĆ, Stoimir, KRAČUN-KOLAREVIĆ, Margareta, JOVANOVIĆ MARIĆ, Jovana, DJORDJEVIĆ, Jelena, VUKOVIĆ-GAČIĆ, Branka, JOKSIMOVIĆ, Danijela, MARTINOVIĆ, Rajko, BAJT, Oliver, RAMŠAK, Andreja. Single and combined potential of polystyrene microparticles and fluoranthene in the induction of DNA damage in haemocytes of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Mutagenesis. Jan. 2023, vol. 38, iss. 1. https://doi.org/10.1093/mutage/geac017, DOI: 10.1093/mutage/geac017.

RAMIĆ, Gaja, RAMŠAK, Andreja. Digitalisation of biodiversity. V: KRANJC BREZAR, Simona (ur.), ČEMAŽAR, Maja (ur.), MARKELC, Boštjan (ur.). 9th Colloquium of Genetics : book of abstracts : September 29th 2023, National Institute of Biology, Marine Biology Station Piran. Ljubljana: Genetic Society of Slovenia in collaboration with the Slovenian Society of Human Genetics, 2023. Str. 57. ISBN 978-961-93545-8-2. https://sgd.si/docs/Colloquium-9th-2023.pdf.

TURK DERMASTIA, Timotej, VASCOTTO, Ivano, FRANCÉ, Janja, STANKOVIĆ, David, MOZETIČ, Patricija. Evaluation of the rbcL marker for metabarcoding of marine diatoms and inference of population structure of selected genera. Frontiers in microbiology. Mar. 2023, vol. 14, str. 1-21, ilustr. ISSN 1664-302X. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1071379, DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1071379.

2022

VELIČKOVIĆ, Tijana, SNOJ, Aleš, SIMIĆ, Vladica, ŠANDA, Radek, VUKIĆ, Jasna, BARCYTÈ, Dovilè, STANKOVIĆ, David, MARIĆ, Saša. A new perspective on the molecular dating of the brown trout complex with an extended phylogeographic information on the species in Serbia. Contributions to zoology. 2023, vol. 92, iss. 4, str. 362-389, ilustr. ISSN 1383-4517. https://doi.org/10.1163/18759866-bja10046, https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22726835, https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?id=151620, DOI: 10.1163/18759866-bja10046.

MARIĆ, Saša, STANKOVIĆ, David, SUŠNIK BAJEC, Simona, VUKIĆ, Jasna, ŠANDA, Radek, STEFANOV, Tihomir, NIKOLIĆ, Dragan, SNOJ, Aleš. Perils of brown trout (Salmo spp.) mitigation-driven translocations : a case study from the Vlasina Plateau, Southeast Serbia. Biological invasions. 2022, vol. 24, str. 999-1016, ilustr. ISSN 1573-1464. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10530-021-02688-0, DOI: 10.1007/s10530-021-02688-0.

SLAVINEC, Petra, FRANCÉ, Janja, MOZETIČ, Patricija. Brackish and anthropogenically modified coastal environments harbour high microalgal diversity and support close interactions between pelagos and benthos (Adriatic Sea). V: ECSA 59 : Using the best scientific knowledge for the sustainable management of estuaries and coastal seas : 5-8 September 2022, San Sebastian, Spain. [San Sebastian: s. n.], 2022. Str. [392]. https://www.estuarinecoastalconference.com/conference-program.asp.

TURK DERMASTIA, Timotej, DALL’ARA, Sonia, DOLENC, Jožica, MOZETIČ, Patricija. Toxicity of the Diatom Genus Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) : insights from toxicity tests and genetic screening in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Toxins : Elektronski vir. 2022, vol. 14, iss. 1, str. 1-17, ilustr. ISSN 2072-6651. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/14/1/60/htm, DOI: 10.3390/toxins14010060. [COBISS.SI-ID 94153219]

This work was conducted with the help of RI-SI-2 LifeWatch (Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the period 2014–2020, Development of Research infrastructure for international competition of Slovene Development of Research infrastructure area— RI-SI, European Regional Development Fund, Republic of Slovenia Ministry of Education, Science and Sport).; ARRS, Programi, P1-0237, SI, Coastal sea research;

RASPOR DALL’OLIO, Lucija, BERAN, Alfred, FLANDER-PUTRLE, Vesna, MALEJ, Alenka, RAMŠAK, Andreja. Diversity of dinoflagellate symbionts in scyphozoan hosts from shallow environments : the Mediterranean Sea and Cabo Frio (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Frontiers in marine science. May 2022, vol. 9, str. 1-13, ilustr. ISSN 2296-7745. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.867554, DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.867554. [COBISS.SI-ID 108221187];

KOLAREVIĆ, Stoimir, KRAČUN-KOLAREVIĆ, Margareta, JOVANOVIĆ MARIĆ, Jovana, DJORDJEVIĆ, Jelena, VUKOVIĆ-GAČIĆ, Branka, JOKSIMOVIĆ, Danijela, MARTINOVIĆ, Rajko, BAJT, Oliver, RAMŠAK, Andreja. Single and combined potential of polystyrene microparticles and fluoranthene in the induction of DNA damage in haemocytes of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Mutagenesis. ISSN 0267-8357. https://doi.org/10.1093/mutage/geac017, DOI: 10.1093/mutage/geac017. [COBISS.SI-ID 121611779];

SLAVINEC, Petra. Biodiverziteta mikroalg v Slovenskem obalnem morju in brakičnih vodah : magistrsko delo = Biodiversity of microalgae in Slovenian coastal sea and brackish waters : master’s thesis. Koper: [P. Slavinec], 2022. XII, 60 str., pril., ilustr. https://www.famnit.upr.si/sl/studij/zakljucna_dela/view/1127. [COBISS.SI-ID 123527939]

2021

RAMŠAK, Andreja. Zamenjave vrst med lignji na slovenskem tržišču : predavanje na spletnem seminarju Analize na potvorbe živil, 14. maj 2021. [COBISS.SI-ID 64001027];

RAMŠAK, Andreja. Substitutions/mislabelling of squids species at Slovenian market, 30. 06. 2021, Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije; RAMŠAK, Andreja. LifeWatch RI-SI-2 : 8. junij – Svetovni dan oceanov. [San Bruno]: YouTube [distributer], 2021. 1 spletni vir (1 videodatoteka (2 min, 26 sek)), barve, zvok. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM8xlFf7fN8, https://www.nib.si/o-institutu/?id=1527. [COBISS.SI-ID 69261059];

RAMŠAK, Andreja. DNA technologies and seafood : predavanje na konferenci: 14th International Technology Transfer Conference, 7th- 8th October 2021, online. Ljubljana: Institut Jožef Stefan, 2021. http://ittc.ijs.si/home1/. [COBISS.SI-ID 80057859];

RAMŠAK, Andreja. Morski observatoriji – izkušnje NIB : predavanje na spletnem srečanju Upravnega odbora LifeWatch-SI in širšega nacionalnega konzorcija eLTER in LifeWatch, 19. februar 2021. [COBISS.SI-ID 68917763];

RAMŠAK, Andreja. Urejanje in delovanje nacionalnega vozlišča in sodelovanje; primer TA : predavanje na spletnem srečanju Upravnega odbora LifeWatch-SI in širšega nacionalnega konzorcija eLTER in LifeWatch, 19. februar 2021. [COBISS.SI-ID 68914947];

RUBINIĆ, Marko. Visokoosjetljivi DNA testovi za određivanje zamjena vrsta u plodovima mora : diplomski rad. Rijeka: [M. Rubinić], 2020. 103 f., ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 34083331];

TURK DERMASTIA, Timotej. Diversity, ecology and sensing of the toxic diatom Pseudo-Nitzschia in the Gulf of Trieste : doctoral disertation = Pestrost, ekologija in detekcija toksičnega rodu diatomej Pseudo-Nitzschia v Tržaškem zalivu : doktorska disertacija. Ljubljana: [T. Turk Dermastia], 2021. XXIV, 159 str., ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 94233859];

National Institute of Biology