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.