Services

PiE-UPV/EHU offers two services. The One Health Marine Lab (ONEMARLAB) offers three interconnected activity domains to be accessed independently or together for “One Health” research with aquatic organisms and a chemical, histological, cellular and molecular platform for the assessment of health biomarkers.

1. One Health Marine Lab (ONEMARLAB)

Coastal monitoring network

Coastal monitoring network continuously accessing pristine and contaminated estuarine and coastal sites. This periodical monitoring network is available for visiting researchers and for provision of marine biological resources. Targeted access to selected ecosystems is also provided, specially in mud-flats, 135 rocky and sandy intertidal shores.

Biscay Bay Environmental Biospecimen Bank

The Biscay Bay Environmental Biospecimen Bank-BBEBB is part of the International Environmental Specimen Bank Group-IESB promoting the world-wide development of techniques and strategies of environmental specimen banking. The BBEBB contains frozen, dry and histological samples, and high-resolution scanned microscopy slide images from:

• Different monitoring campaigns mainly in the Southern Bay of Biscay

• Samples of model organisms experimentally exposed in-house to diverse chemicals. In general, the BBEBB contains tissues of fish, stranded marine mammals, and molluscs.

Storage of such samples allows retrospective analysis of environmental health through the application of biomarker, biometry and analytical chemistry techniques.

Samples can be searched through the following database: http://piebbebb.ehu.eus/default.aspx .

Biobanking experimentation is also possible.

Basque Microalgae Culture Collection

The Basque Microalgae Culture Collection-BMCC maintains over 600 strains of marine and freshwater microalgae and cyanobacteria (many causing toxic blooms), mostly from the Basque Country.

The BMCC was officially registered in 2020 in the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC) and is part of the Spanish Network of Microorganisms (REDESMI). The collection is growing monthly, and its strain catalogue can be browsed here: https://www.ehu.eus/es/web/bmcc/buscador.

The cultures are provided alive, as 10 ml inoculums but larger volumes can be provided upon request.

Experimental aquaria for toxicity testing and study of mechanisms of stress action

Experimental aquaria at PiE-UPV/EHU offer a wide range of possibilities to study effect of environmental variables (including exposure to chemicals, nutrition experiments, water physicochemical alterations, different stress conditions) using/growing marine algae, invertebrates (molluscs, echinoderms, crustacean…) and fish as test organisms. Experimentation can be performed from gametes to adult organisms. Features of these aquaria include:

• Metal free;

• Independent regulation of photoperiod and temperature (14-22ºC) with a titanium plate interchanger;

• Experimental set-ups at lower temperatures are feasible;

• Flow-through and closed systems;

• Data logger for continuous recording of physicochemicals;

• Equipped with their own depuration plant organised in three depurations lines (organic material, hydrocarbons, metals), allowing experimenting with a range of contaminants without harming the local depuration plant;

• Experimentation tanks with volumes from 1 to 1000 litres and with two outdoor mesocosms of 20000 litres each;

• Specific filtration units for specific experiments if required.

Platform for the assessment of health effect biomarkers

Analytical chemistry, molecular, biochemical and histological platforms for the analysis in sentinel organisms (collected in their natural habitat or after experimentation under laboratory conditions) of molecular, cell and tissue level biomarkers of:

1. Exposure to toxic chemical compounds)

2. Effects of exposure to environmental change (adaptive and maladaptive responses to environmental change)

   
   

(Bioaccumulation, Metal exposure, Oxidative stress, xenoestrogenicity, mutagenicity, heat shock, histopathology, toxicity testing, in vitro assays, cell viability…. ).

Bioresources available

The Basque Microalgae Culture Collection-BMCC maintains over 600 strains of marine and freshwater microalgae and cyanobacteria (many causing toxic blooms), mostly from the Basque Country.

The BMCC was officially registered in 2020 in the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC) and is part of the Spanish Network of Microorganisms (REDESMI). The collection is growing monthly, and its strain catalogue can be browsed here: https://www.ehu.eus/es/web/bmcc/buscador. The cultures are provided alive, as 10 ml inoculums but larger volumes can be provided upon request. Experience in lab based experimentation marine algae, invertebrates (molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans, cnidarians, polychaetes, rotiferes…) and marine fishes as test organisms.

Support offered

The installations have an extensive experience in providing access to external users. Before the arrival, administrative support will assist with reservations and travel arrangements.

During the access administrative, technical and scientific personnel will be assigned to the users to support them in their research activities if necessary, and the scientific expertise of the installations will be at their disposal, being the users fully integrated in the daily scientific activities of the facilities. Training in the use of the platforms and equipment will be provided. No lodging will be provided in the installations. In-house kitchen facilities are available, and apartments for rent and hotels will be within walking distance from the stations. Users will be expected to provide a seminar and a report of the visit.

Modality of access

PiE-UPV/EHU is the marine station of the UPV/EHU and is one of the founding members of EMBRC. It is located on the beach of Plentzia, 15 minutes from the international airport of Bilbao and connected by metro to the Bilbao centre. Research and education missions are mainly in the realm of environmental health assessment in estuarine and coastal ecosystems, and environmental toxicology.

Provides complete access to its tripartite One Health marine Laboratory with its environmental monitoring network, its Biscay Bay Environmental Specimen Bank and the Basque Microalgae culture collection and its experimental aquaria. Experience in the assessment of health biomarkers from the molecular to ecological level is offered though its “Platform for Health Biomarker assessment” to study any aspects related to the health of breeds in captivity or wild marine organisms.

PIE-UPV/EHU offers access to more than 2750 in-house and external users (only research) and has offered more than 300 units of transnational access in the recently finalized H2020 Assemble Plus project.http://www.ehu.eus/PIE/index.php/experimental-aquaria2/