中意海洋生物群功能生物学联合实验室由中国浙江海洋大学（ZJOU）和意大利比萨大学（UniPi）与意大利国家环境保护研究所（ISPRA）联合共建，于2023年8月1日正式成立。实验室依托双方长期稳定的合作积淀，聚焦海洋生物群功能、海洋生态监测与人类健康交叉领域，致力于深化中意海洋科研与高等教育合作，促进双边师生学术交流，打造高水平国际化科研与人才培养平台。
联建双方科研基础扎实、合作成果丰硕。此前联合获批国家自然科学基金委重点国际合作与交流项目--海洋贻贝环境适应的免疫独特性的发现与挖掘（项目编号42020104009）；联合举办“第一届贻贝生物多样性、可持续利用与保护国际学术会议”、“中意第一届科研与高等教育在海洋领域的应用学术研讨会”等多场海洋领域国际学术会议。双方共同发表多篇高水平论文、获批多项专利，成功联合培养博士多名，为实验室建设奠定了坚实的科研、人才与交流合作基础。
实验室秉持平等、互惠、互利的合作原则，深耕海洋生物群核心研究领域，重点研究各类海洋生物（如微生物、浮游生物、贻贝）的主要生理功能及其分子机制，涵盖细胞与基因组层面过程，同时探究化学污染物及各类环境变动对海洋生产力、生物多样性造成的影响，为海洋生态保护、海洋资源可持续利用、海洋健康风险防控筑牢理论与技术支撑。
实验室立足研究生高端人才培养与前沿科研创新，搭建专业化科研平台，规划下设四大实验分室：浮游生物繁育实验室、水产品养殖加工实验室、海洋生态研究实验室、海洋生物组学实验室。各分室协同联动，形成涵盖生物繁育、养殖加工、生态监测、组学解析的完整研究体系，持续推进中意海洋领域科技创新、学术交流与产学研融合发展。
The Sino-Italian Joint Laboratory of Functional Biology of Marine Life was jointly built by Zhejiang Ocean University (ZJOU) of China and the University of Pisa of Italy (UniPi) and the Italian National Institute of Environmental Protection (ISPRA), and was officially established on August 1, 2023.Built on long-term and stable cooperation between the two parties, the laboratory focuses on interdisciplinary research encompassing the functional biology of marine biota, marine ecological monitoring, and human health. It is committed to deepening Sino-Italian collaboration in marine scientific research and higher education, promoting academic exchanges between faculty and students from both sides, and building a high-level international platform for scientific research and talent cultivation.
The two parties have solid research foundations and a history of fruitful collaboration. They previously secured a key international cooperation and exchange grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC): Discovery and Elucidation of Distinct Immunological Features Underlying Environmental Adaptation in Marine Mussels (Grant No. 42020104009). They have also co-hosted several international marine conferences, including the 1st International Conference on Mussel Biodiversity, Sustainable Utilization and Conservation and the 1st Sino-Italian Seminar on Applications of Scientific Research and Higher Education in Marine Research. In addition, they have co-published numerous high-level papers, obtained multiple patents, and jointly trained several doctoral students. These achievements have laid a solid foundation for the laboratory in terms of scientific research, talent cultivation, and international collaboration.
Adhering to the cooperative principles of equality and mutual benefit, the laboratory carries out intensive research on the core research fields of marine biota. It focuses on exploring major physiological functions and their underlying molecular mechanisms of various marine organisms (e.g., microorganisms, plankton and mussels), involving cellular and genomic processes. Meanwhile, it investigates the impacts of chemical contaminants and diverse environmental variations on marine productivity and biodiversity. Relevant research outcomes provide solid theoretical and technical support for marine ecological conservation, sustainable exploitation of marine resources, as well as the prevention and control of marine health risks.
Centered on high-level postgraduate training and cutting-edge scientific innovation, the laboratory has established a specialized research platform, which will comprise four branch laboratories: the Plankton Breeding Laboratory, the Aquaculture and Aquatic Products Processing Laboratory, the Marine Ecology Research Laboratory, and the Marine Omics Laboratory. All branch laboratories operate collaboratively to form an integrated research system covering organism breeding, aquaculture and processing, ecological monitoring, and omics analysis. The laboratory continuously advances scientific and technological innovation, academic exchanges, and industry-university-research integration in marine fields between China and Italy.