Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy

The Stazione Zoologica [2] Anton Dohrn (Anton Dohrn Zoological Station) is a public research institute focusing on biology and biodiversity. Hereafter called the Station, it was founded in Naples, Italy, in 1872 by Anton Dohrn. The type of research conducted at the Station has varied since it was created, though initial research focused on embryology [3]. At the turn of the twentieth century, researchers at the Station established the sea urchin [4] (Echinoidea [5]) as a model organism [6] for embryological research. A number of scientists conducted experiments on embryos and embryonic development at the Station from the 1890s to the 1930s, including Hans Driesch [7], Jacques Loeb [8], Theodor Boveri [9], Otto Warburg, Hans Spemann [10] and Thomas Morgan. Research completed during this time at the Station contributed to the study of experimental embryology [3] and developmental biology and helped shape the history of embryology [3].