Introduction

Main research activities of the Division:

  1. Biodiversity and Evolutionary Animal Ecology
  2. Marine Ecology and Marine Biological Resources Management
  3. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Pollution
  4. Animal Physiology, with emphasis on the function of the Nervous System
  5. Aquaculture

Active collaboration exists between the research groups of the Division and other groups within the Department of Biology, as well as with researchers from National and International Research Institutes and Universities. The Division includes two decreed Laboratories: (a) the Laboratory of Zoology and (b) the Laboratory of Human & Animal Physiology. The Zoological Museum of the University of Patras operates under its auspices. The faculty and members of the Division participates in the teaching of 4 compulsory and 13 elective/optional undergraduate courses, as well as of 15 postgraduate courses in the Department of Biology and in Interdepartmental Postgraduate Programmes.

Undergraduate courses

Laboratory of Zoology

  • Animal Biology I: Basal Phyla and Protostomes
  • Animal Biology II: Deuterostomes
  • Population Ecology (formerly named as Ecology I)

Laboratory of Human & Animal Physiology

  • Animal Physiology (formerly taught as two separate courses, i.e. Animal Physiology I & II)

  • Diploma thesis
  • Internship

Laboratory of Zoology

  • Ethology
  • Fauna of Greece
  • Biogeography (inter-Section course)
  • Biodiversity and Conservation Biology (inter-Section course)
  • Marine Ecology
  • Ichthyology
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Aquaculture

Laboratory of Human & Animal Physiology

  • Brain and Mind
  • Environmental Animal Physiology
  • Experimental Animal Physiology
  • Special issue of Human Physiology
  • Neurobiology
  • Applied Ethics and Bioethics

Postgraduate courses

Postgraduate Programme in Biological Sciences: Research and Applications (Department of Biology)

  • Molecular Physiology & Neurobiology
  • Methodology of Biomedical Research

  • Sampling Design, Environmental Data Analysis and Ecological Models
  • Biodiversity assessment and monitoring of species and habitats
  • Environmental Planning and Management of Natural Areas
  • Fish population Dynamics and Management of Marine Biological Resources
  • Assessment and Μanagement of Αquatic Εcosystem

Interdepartmental Postgraduate Programmes

  • Applied Ecology
  • Ecological Genetics & Ecotoxicology
  • Animal Adaptive Mechanism

  • Anthropogenic impacts on the Marine Environment
  • Computational analysis of oceanographic data
  • Structure and operation of marine ecosystems
  • Coastal Zone Management
  • Fishing oceanography and management
  • Aquaculture: production techniques and environment

Research interests

  • Spatial & Temporal Standards and biodiversity processes of animal communities
  • Evolutionary terrestrial ecology (Endogenous processes, phylogeny, behavioral, morphological, ecological & population adaptations)
  • Phylogenetic relationships (Genetic, molecular & cytological methods)

  • Biological oceanography & fisheries management
  • Abundance, distribution & behavior of marine organisms
  • Impacts of the environment & climate change on marine ecosystems and exploiting populations
  • Aquaculture (Fish larvae, zooplankton, use of probiotics)
  • Phytoplankton cultivation (reduction of CO2 emissions, production of biodiesel & biotechnological products)

  • Oxidative and genotoxic effects of pollutants on aquatic species
  • Stress indices on organisms-indicators of aquatic pollution
  • Monitoring of marine environment health status with the use of bioindicators
  • Aquatic Toxicology (toxicity tests with the use of fresh- and salt-water aquatic species)

  • Developmental Neurobiology, brain plasticity mechanisms
  • Neurobiological basis of behavior and stress
  • Pathophysiology of the central nervous system
  • Neuroprotection & neurodegeneration mechanisms
  • Effect of plant extracts on the central nervous system
  • Developmental neurobiology (proliferation, nerve cell migration & the role of neurotransmitter systems)
  • Mechanisms of plasticity in the mature brain (effect of epigenetic factors on brain function – sex hormones, trauma, hypertension, learning patterns)

  • Marine fish larvae (rearing, microbiology, prey selection, skeletal malformations)
  • Effect of oxygen on fish digestive physiology
  • Culture of microalgae (antimicrobial activity, production of bioactive compounds, photobioreactors)

Zoological Museum

The Section of Animal Biology supervises the operation of the Zoological Museum. The exhibition of the Museum contains preserved material, mainly from the Greek fauna, that includes both Vertebrates and Invertebrates. Its main goals are the use of the stored material for research purposes, the education and training of under- and post-graduate students and the raising of environmental awareness, mainly through organized school visits.

Read more about the museum or visit the museum’s official webpage.

Laboratories

Head of Section

Faculty

Laboratory teaching staff (EDIP)

Special technical laboratory staff (ETEP)