Research Team: Team of Reproduction and Development in Fish

Place of work: Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Olsztyn,

Keywords: aquaculture, reproduction, non-genetic inheritance, transcriptomic, fish larvae, Eurasian perch

Research Focus:

(Start with a brief introduction of your past research leading to your current work and what you aim to achieve by the end of your PhD.)

I am a marine biologist with a focus on investigating fish biology and reproduction using omics techniques. During my master’s studies, I studied the environmental effects on female swordfish (Xiphias gladius) reproduction, which led to a growing interest in the molecular mechanisms underlying reproductive traits. For my PhD, I shifted my focus from marine to freshwater species, working on Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis). My current research explores maternal contributions to offspring performance, with particular attention to non-genetic factors involved in the transmission of traits across generations. By integrating transcriptomic analyses with zootechnical data, this work aims to deepen our understanding of fundamental biological processes and support improvements in aquaculture strategies.

By the end of my PhD, I hope to have gained the expertise and confidence necessary to pursue a career as an independent researcher. I aim to further develop my skills in omics technologies and continue contributing to the advancement of aquaculture sector.

Publications/participations:

Debernardis, R., Palińska-Żarska, K., Judycka, S., Panda, A., Jarmołowicz, S., Jastrzębski, J.P., de Almeida, TR, Błażejewski, M., Hliwa, P., Krejszeff, S. and Żarski, D., 2025. Does transcriptome of freshly hatched fish larvae describe past or predict future developmental trajectory?.  Aquaculture ,  595 , p.741486

Panda, A., Judycka, S., Palińska-Żarska, K., Debernardis, R., Jarmołowicz, S., Jastrzębski, J.P., Rocha de Almeida, T., Błażejewski, M., Hliwa, P., Krejszeff, S. and Żarski, D., 2024. Paternal-effect-genes revealed through sperm cryopreservation in Perca fluviatilis. Scientific Reports, 14(1), p.6396.

Gioacchini, G., Filippi, S., Debernardis, R., Marisaldi, L., Aiese Cigliano, R. and Carnevali, O., 2023. A Window of Vulnerability: Chronic Environmental Stress Does Not Impair Reproduction in the Swordfish Xiphias gladius. Animals, 13(2), p.269.

Projects:

Project leader of PRELUDIUM 23 “To eat or not to eat? Zootechnical and transcriptomic exploration of foraging performance in Eurasian perch larvae”. DEC-2024/53/N/NZ9/01570