Yesterday, October 21, Dr. Virginia Cortella graduated in Biological Sciences, discussing her three-year thesis entitled “Methods of investigation for the study of gonadal development in the genus Patella”.
Virginia worked on the project in the period from October to December 2019, just in correspondence with the reproductive period of Patella ferruginea species, learning to use the various techniques to better understand the development of the gonad, such as the biopsy used not only to determine the sex of the specimens, but also for the observation of gametes and evaluation of their stage of maturation. She also learned how to interpret the images resulting from magnetic resonance imaging, to which the limpet specimens were subjected in autumn 2019, in collaboration with the Galliera Hospital, thanks to which the University was able to observe and evaluate the thickness of the gonad and therefore its stage of development.
In the autumn 2020, two other biology students will support the work of researchers at the laboratory in Camogli.
