Dr Alexandre Benedetto
Senior lecturer in Integrative PhysiologyCurrent Teaching
BIOL100, 231, 300, 400 - Academic tutoring
BIOL364 - Biology of Ageing (Module organiser)
BIOL383 - Innovations in Biosciences (Module organiser)
BIOL387/389/390 - 3rd year lab project supervisor
BIOL461 - Fundamental Research Skills
BIOL466/469/470 - Msc/Msci lab project supervisor
SSM2 - Special Study Module for 2nd year medical students (Convenor)
UG/PG Biomedical and further study career adviser
Research Overview
I wish to understand how animals and their microbiome communicate throughout life to maintain homeostasis. To probe such interactions, I study C. elegans and its adult gut microbiota under challenging conditions (infection, neurodegenerative diseases, stress, ageing). Combining genome-wide phenotyping screens, RNAseq and in chip time-lapse imaging, I aim to map the genetic network that governs worm gut-bacteria interactions (BBSRC: BB/S017127/1). In parallel, I study the regulation of death in C. elegans in a bid to identify interventions that can halt or delay tissue decay and organismal death, but also to further understanding of the gut-brain axis, which is engaged during the death process. For this I perform real-time single-cell resolution whole-brain imaging in worms, which allows us to track individual neuronal activites during death (collaborating with Dr. Hari Shroff at the HHMI Janelia farms). Lastly, I develop and apply microfludics and microfabricated devices for the quantitative study of cancer and immune processes (currently collaboratiing with Dr. Caroline Weight). My lab heavily relies on live fluorescence microscopy and spectrometry approaches, using genetically encoded biosensors and reporters of cellular activities in bacteria, worms and mammalian cell cultures.
Research Grants
2019 - NWCR Equipment Round. £50,000 (+£56,000 LU match-funding). Spinning Disc Confocal Microscope for superfast multichannel live imaging. Joint PIs Mort, R, Benedetto, A.
2019 - North West Cancer Research Development Fund. £15, 030. Investigating the thermosensitivity of cancer cell division dynamics: toward cancer thermotherapies? Joint PIs: Mort, R, Benedetto, A, Fielding, A.
2019 - Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council £741,000 (+£20,000 LU match-funding). Integrated multiomics of host-bacterium interactions during C. elegans gut infections. PI Benedetto A.
2018 - Wellcome Trust Seed Award in Sciences. £100,000 (+£11,000 LU match-funding). Neuromodulation of death in C. elegans. PI Benedetto A.
2018 - NWCR Capital Equiment Fund. £18,000 (+18,000 LU match-funding). A microfluidic temperature control platform for cancer biomedicine. PI Benedetto A.
PhD Supervision Interests
I can generally welcome PhD and MSc by Research students interested in studying: (1) the spatiotemporal dynamics of gut host-microbiota interactions in C. elegans, (2) organismal death in C. elegans, (3) the role of intercellular variability in cancer progression (in collaboration with Dr Richard Mort). (4) cell bioenergetics in cancer and ageing (collaborations with Dr Richard Mort and Pr Aneta Stefanovska) (5) epithelium tissue/organoid-on-chip (collaboration with Dr Caroline Weight) Key areas for research projects in 2024-2025: (1) Investigating brain activity at death in C. elegans (collaboration with HHMI Janelia Farms, expect short/longer-term visits there). (2) A fluorescent microbiota model for live monitoring of gut-microbe interactions during C. elegans ageing (collaboration with CAU Kiele in Germany, expect short visits there). (3) Probiotics to improve animal thermotolerance (collaboration with QUB and Glasgow U, expect short visits there). For initial enquiries, students should email me at: a.benedetto@lancaster.ac.uk, referring to a specific MRes or PhD project flavor in the email subject. CVs welcome.
Selected Publications
C. elegans Eats Its Own Intestine to Make Yolk Leading to Multiple Senescent Pathologies
Ezcurra, M., Benedetto, A., Sornda, T., Gilliat, A.F., Au, C., Zhang, Q., van Schelt, S., Petrache, A.L., Wang, H., de la Guardia, Y., Bar-Nun, S., Tyler, E., Wakelam, M.J., Gems, D. 20/08/2018 In: Current biology : CB. 28, 16, p. 2544-2556.e5. 13 p.
Journal article
New label-free automated survival assays reveal unexpected stress resistance patterns during C. elegans aging
Benedetto, A., Bambade, T., Au, C., Tullet, J.M., Monkhouse, J., Dang, H., Cetnar, K., Chan, B., Cabreiro, F., Gems, D. 1/10/2019 In: Aging Cell. 18, 5, 10 p.
Journal article
Coupling of Rigor Mortis and Intestinal Necrosis during C. elegans Organismal Death
Galimov, E.R., Pryor, R.E., Poole, S.E., Benedetto, A., Pincus, Z., Gems, D. 6/03/2018 In: Cell Reports. 22, 10, p. 2730-2741. 12 p.
Journal article
Spatiotemporal control of gene expression using microfluidics
Benedetto, A., Accetta, G., Fujita, Y., Charras, G. 7/04/2014 In: Lab on a Chip. 14, 7, p. 1336-1347. 12 p.
Journal article
Anthranilate fluorescence marks a calcium-propagated necrotic wave that promotes organismal death in C. elegans
Coburn, C., Allman, E., Mahanti, P., Benedetto, A., Cabreiro, F., Pincus, Z., Matthijssens, F., Araiz, C., Mandel, A., Vlachos, M., Edwards, S., Fischer, G., Davidson, A., Pryor, R.E., Stevens, A., Slack, F.J., Tavernarakis, N., Braeckman, B.P., Schroeder, F.C., Nehrke, K., Gems, D. 23/07/2013 In: Plos Biology. 11, 7, 17 p.
Journal article
In vivo collective cell migration requires an LPAR2-dependent increase in tissue fluidity
Kuriyama, S., Theveneau, E., Benedetto, A., Parsons, M., Tanaka, M., Charras, G., Kabla, A., Mayor, R. 7/07/2014 In: Journal of Cell Biology. 206, 1, p. 113-127. 15 p.
Journal article
All Publications
Targeting the gut-brain axis to improve animal resilience to a warming climate
17/04/2023 → 31/07/2023
Research
Brazil-UK Partnership: New Bioactives for a Healthy Gut, targeting the gut microbiota
01/06/2022 → 31/05/2025
Research
Building and optimisation of a microscope stage mounted stretch apparatus to investigate the role of physical forces in melanoblast behaviour
01/11/2021 → 31/10/2022
Research
Integrated Multiomics of Host-bacteria Interactions during C. elegans Gut Infections
31/01/2020 → 30/04/2025
Research
NWCR Equipment grant: Spinning Disc Confocal Microscope for superfast multichannel live imaging
01/10/2019 → 31/03/2020
Research
Investigating the thermosensitivity of cancer cell division dynamics: toward cancer thermotherapies?
01/07/2019 → 30/09/2020
Research
Neuromodulation of death in Caenorhabditis elegans
18/03/2019 → 30/04/2022
Research
Neuromodulation of death in Caenorhabditis elegans
18/03/2019 → 30/04/2022
Research
Equipment: Cell microenvironment control platform for cancer biomedicine
28/09/2018 → 31/03/2019
Research
FHM PhD Studentship - Repurposing gemfibrozil as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (£66,336)
01/01/1900 → …
Research
Dr Abi Spear visiting Lancaster University
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
UNIPAMPA-LU partnership visit to Magnitude Biosciences
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
C. elegans screening of bioactives and probiotics
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Superfood for bugs: Understanding microbial nutrient requirements from a geometric perspective
Consultancy
Knowledge Exchange activity with Advanced Medical Solutions
Types of Business and Community - Hosting of external, non-academic visitor
PLoS ONE (Journal)
Editorial activity
FEBS Open Bio (Journal)
Editorial activity
Sensors (Journal)
Publication peer-review
eLife (Journal)
Publication peer-review
FEBS Open Bio (Journal)
Publication peer-review
BMC Genomics (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Scientific Reports (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Neurotoxicity Research (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Multi-Scale Biology Network Meeting
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
eLife (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Hindawi Publishing Corporation (Publisher)
Publication peer-review
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Small (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Advanced Materials (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Biotechnology and Bioengineering (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Food and Chemical Toxicology (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology (Journal)
Publication peer-review
- Ageing and Neuroscience
- Cancer Biology and Genome Stability
- Lancaster Intelligent, Robotic and Autonomous Systems Centre
- LIRA - Biomedical
- LIRA - Fundamentals
- Microbes, Pathogens and Immunity