About IIM

The Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC) is one of the main marine research centers in the Iberian Peninsula. Looking at the Atlantic from Vigo, a city with a strong connection with the sea, the IIM-CSIC faces the challenge of increasing our knowledge about the ocean, from its physical characteristics to the food we take from it and the processes that bind the whole system together.

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Research

Research is at the core of the Institute of Marine Research's work. Working along 3 Core Research Themes, which intertwine and connect to each other, the researchers and technicians at the IIM-CSIC look for answers within 9 different research lines.

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Innovation

While our research provides us with new knowledge about our sea and shores, at the Institute of Marine Research we are committed to go a step further, creating new collaborations with the industry and other economic activities, be they already 'established' industries, such as fisheries or aquaculture, or 'emerging' ones, such as ocean observation.

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Society

Science is not complete until it is shared with society. As a public research institution, the IIM understands that its commitment is with society, fostering a two-way relationship with its surrounding community and an open perspective on science.

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Work & Study

Marine scientists, lab technicians, biologists, chemists and engineers, but also economists, lawyers or communicators (both working and in training) contribute to the interdisciplinary nature of our center. With more than 200 employees, the IIM-CSIC is a large community of people who work together for the sake of science, knowledge and sustainability.

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News & Events

Do you want to be aware of the latest at the IIM? The Institute has a whole team involved in communication & outreach, sharing all news that arise and organizing events to reach all sectors of society: from other peers working in science to children in schools or our neighbors from Vigo.

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Biological Systems and Process

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is experiencing a rapid acceleration thanks to the advances in omic techniques and computing capacities, which allow us to better understand how we can put nature’s machinery to use for the good of humanity. Biotechnology is a broad discipline in which biological processes, cells or organisms are exploited to develop new technologies, with applications in agri- and aquaculture, food production, industrial processes and medicine.

Because of this wide range of applications, biotechnology is usually color-coded to refer to its four main fields of application. Industrial biotechnology is usually referred to as white biotechnology, while red is reserved for medical applications, green for agriculture-related developments, and blue for processes that encompass the aquatic environment.

The interdisciplinary nature of the IIM-CSIC allows us to collaborate with different industries for the application of biotechnological innovations across the whole color range of biotechnology.

You can read about all our capabilities and associated services below.

 

Research groups

Capabilities

  • Capabilities | Development of “in vivo” bioactivity tests for biomolecules using animal models
    Biotechnology

    Use of animal models (zebrafish, turbot, mice, etc.) as model systems to study the bioactivity of different compounds, as well as fish and human diseases (septic shock, inflammatory illnesses, etc.).

     

    Related research groups

    Immunology & Genomics Aquatic Biotechnology Lab
  • Capabilities | Advanced -omics applied to marine organisms
    Biotechnology

    Studies on the structure of the genome of marine organisms, including gene mapping, DNA sequencing and how the complete set of RNA transcripts is produced by the genome and affected by development, diseases, or environmental factors conditioning the phenotype and particularly proteomics and metabolomics, always applying the most advanced techniques (ATAC-seq, MethylCap-Seq, RNA-seq, recombinant DNA technology, knockin and knockout CRISPR/Cas9, enhancer detector (ZED),Tol2 kit and BAC transgenic technologies, etc.).

    Related research groups

    Immunology & Genomics Aquatic Biotechnology Lab Marine Molecular Pathobiology

Services

Active projects