Final Degree Project in Marine Sciences and Biotechnology of two UCV students in the Nutrigenomics group of IATS2026-06-26
Alice Gasperini, 5th year student of double degree in Marine Sciences and Biotechnology, and Mario Ferrández Sanía, 4th year student of the same degree, both at Catholic University of Valencia (UCV), have just completed the Final Degree Project (TFG) in Biotechnology and Marine Sciences in the Fish Nutrigenomics and Integrative Biology Group of the Institute of Aquaculture Torre de la Sal (IATS, CSIC).
Alice started her TFG in the IATS in February, being involved in the work about the assessment of the gene expression in several biological age and thermally-regulated markers in farmed fish subjected to random stressors. This stay has led to the completion of her TFG, entitled “Biological Age and Thermally-Regulated Genes are Responsive to Chronic Unpredictable Stress in farmed Sparus aurata”. Additionally, Mario also begun his TFG in February and his work has focused on studying how cyclical fluctuations in temperature and salinity affect the gilthead sea bream holobiont. His research has involved an integrated analysis of physiological, molecular, and microbial indicators, resulting in the TFG entitled “Integrated Holobiont Responses of Gilthead Sea Bream to Temperature and Salinity Fluctuations”. Both students have been supervised by Beatriz Salesa Landete, from the UCV, and by researchers from the Fish Nutrigenomics and Integrative Biology Group in the IATS. Fernando Naya Català and Álvaro Belenguer Ferrando supervised Alice, and Federico Moroni supervised Mario.
Both students defended her work excellently at the UCV. Alice did it on the 15th of June 2026, obtaining a grade of 9.68 out of 10 (Matrícula de Honor) and with doctors Jerónimo Chirivella Martorell and Ana De Luis Margarit being members of the panel that evaluated the work. On the other side, Mario exposed his work on the 16th of June 2026, reaching a grade of 9.1 out of 10, with doctors Beatriz Salesa Landete and Alba Cano Vicent in the evaluation board.
