Description of the partner organisation
The Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA) of the University of Padova is located in the Agripolis Campus in Legnaro (Padova), in North-Eastern Italy. BCA has been active since January 1st, 2012 and professor Tomaso Patarnello is the Head of Department.
The mission of the Department is to develop groundbreaking ideas, propose high-tech projects, and establish innovative laboratory protocols in advanced biomedical research. BCA personnel contribute to excellence in education in Veterinary and comparative medical sciences, by teaching several graduate and post-graduate courses in genetics and zoology; animal anatomy; basic and applied pathology; pharmacology; and food quality and safety.
The Department consists of a number of modern biomedical laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment run by qualified technicians. Laboratories include molecular biology, experimental physiology, cell culture facilities, radionuclide dosage, chemical analysis (including contaminant analysis), food analysis, and others. BCA facilities comprise also a large automatized dissecting room certified for animals up to over 1,000 kg, deep-freeze storage and a mobile service for sample collection in the field.
Description of the activities
The Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA) of the University of Padova hosts the Mediterranean marine mammal tissue Bank (MMMTB) that houses over 3,000 samples of cetaceans and pinnipeds and hosts also an Emergency stranding task force (CERT), ready to act in the event of mass strandings, significant individual strandings and environmental emergencies involving large aquatic vertebrates. The experience acquired in applied marine mammal science (including anatomy, physiology, parasitology, morbid anatomy, handling of live specimens, blood sampling etc.), confirmed by several publications in international high-impact, peer-reviewed Journals of the field, along with the experience in University teaching will be of uppermost importance for the realization of NETCET goals.
In the NETCET project, BCA plays an important role in coordinating training activities aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity for the conservation of sea turtles and cetaceans, enhancing the regional cooperation through the organization of training programs and networking (WP3). Due to its role in the Italian stranding network the Department will actively support the monitoring activities on stranded animals. In addition, it will support the development of a common data collection framework for cetaceans and lead the development of a proposal for an Adriatic Emergency Task Force.
Address
AGRIPOLIS
Viale dell’Università, 16
35020 - Legnaro (PD)
Italy
