Matthew Alan Benton

Morphospace analysis reveals divergent cellular behaviours driving tissue internalisation during insect gastrulation

The paper compares cellular behaviours during insect gastrulation, finding divergent mechanisms between Drosophila and Tribolium, with nuclear crowding influencing internalisation modes.

Selection-free CRISPR-Cas9 editing protocol for distant Dictyostelid species

This paper introduces a selection-free CRISPR-Cas9 editing protocol effective across multiple Dictyostelid species, enabling efficient knock-out and knock-in mutations without antibiotic selection.

Systemic coordination of whole-body tissue remodeling in sea anemone local regeneration

This study shows that local regeneration in sea anemones triggers a systemic homeostatic response leading to whole-body tissue remodeling through proteolysis driven by metalloproteases.

A timer gene network is spatially regulated by the terminal system in the Drosophila embryo

The paper identifies 11 new regulatory interactions governing timer gene expression in Drosophila embryos, showing how a dynamic Tailless gradient modulates their cross-regulatory module to define the tail region.

The neuroblast timer gene nubbin exhibits functional redundancy with gap genes to regulate segment identity in Tribolium

The paper investigates the role of nubbin in segment identity regulation in Tribolium, showing functional redundancy with gap genes and contributing to understanding of neuroblast timer gene evolution.

Fog signaling has diverse roles in epithelial morphogenesis in insects

This study shows that Fog signaling has multiple roles in epithelial morphogenesis across insects, including mesoderm internalization and gut development in Tribolium.

A revised understanding of Tribolium morphogenesis further reconciles short and long germ development

The paper shows that in Tribolium castaneum, cells previously thought to be amnion contribute to the embryo, and that dorsal-to-ventral cell flow is conserved with Drosophila, suggesting similar morphogenetic mechanisms.

A novel role for Ets4 in axis specification and cell migration in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum

The paper identifies Pt-Ets4 as a key transcription factor required for cumulus function, dorsoventral axis patterning, and mesoderm-like cell fate induction in spider embryos.

Deep, Staged Transcriptomic Resources for the Novel Coleopteran Models Atrachya menetriesi and Callosobruchus maculatus

The paper presents high-quality transcriptomic resources for two coleopteran species, providing detailed developmental gene expression data and assemblies.