Dr Alexandre Benedetto

Senior lecturer in Integrative Physiology

Current 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

Investigating the Interplay of Organoselenides in Metal Homeostasis and the Gut-Brain Axis for General and Brain Health
01/07/2024 → 01/07/2027
Research

LU BBSRC 2024 International Partnership Fund
01/04/2024 → 29/06/2024
Research

Designing bacterial gut communities to improve bee resilience to climate change
01/10/2023 → 30/09/2027
Research

High-resolution spatiotemporal mapping of brain and gut organismal death processes in C. elegans.
17/07/2023 → 17/07/2024
Research

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

Equipment: Cell microenvironment control platform for cancer biomedicine
28/09/2018 → 31/03/2019
Research