Dr Alexandre Benedetto
Senior LecturerCurrent 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 also study the regulation of abrupt death in C. elegans in a bid to identify interventions that can halt or delay tissue decay and organismal death (Wellcome Trust: 214076/Z/18/Z). Lastly, I develop and apply microfludics and microfabricated devices for the quantitative study of cancer development and progression in cell and tissue culture models (NWCR). 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) the neuromodulation of 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 Richard Mort and Aneta Stefanovska) Specific projects on offer for joining the lab in 2021-2022: (1) Genetically-encoded fluorescent biosensors for in vivo live monitoring of cell bioenergetics during C. elegans ageing. (2) Genetically-encoded fluorescent biosensors for in vivo live monitoring of skin cell bioenergetics during development, cancer and ageing (collaboration with Richard Mort). (3) Investigating the neuromodulation of organismal death with genetically-encoded fluorescent biosensors in C. elegans. (4) A fluorescent microbiota model for live monitoring of gut-microbe interactions during C. elegans ageing. For initial enquiries, students should email me at: a.benedetto@lancaster.ac.uk, referring to a specific MRes or PhD application 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
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 → 31/07/2024
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 → 17/09/2021
Research
Neuromodulation of death in Caenorhabditis elegans
18/03/2019 → 30/04/2022
Research
Equipment: Cell microenvironment control platform for cancer biomedicine
01/01/1900 → …
Research
FHM PhD Studentship - Repurposing gemfibrozil as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (£66,336)
01/01/1900 → …
Research
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
FEBS Open Bio (Journal)
Editorial activity
PLoS ONE (Journal)
Editorial activity
Sensors (Journal)
Publication peer-review
FEBS Open Bio (Journal)
Publication peer-review
BMC Genomics (Journal)
Publication peer-review
eLife (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
Hindawi Publishing Corporation (Publisher)
Publication peer-review
eLife (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Advanced Materials (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Biotechnology and Bioengineering (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Small (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
- Lancaster Intelligent, Robotic and Autonomous Systems Centre
- LIRA - Biomedical
- LIRA - Fundamentals