Bérénice A. Benayoun, PhD
@bbparis1984.bsky.social
Associate prof @USC Gero. She/her.
French 🇫🇷 scientist. Aging👴🏻👵🏻, omics🧬, immunity (macrophages/neutrophils)🦠, sex-dimorphism ⚧️, hormones.
Mouse 🐁 and turquoise killifish 🐟.
Views my own.
http://gero.usc.edu/labs/benayounlab/
ORCID: 0000-0002-7401-4777
French 🇫🇷 scientist. Aging👴🏻👵🏻, omics🧬, immunity (macrophages/neutrophils)🦠, sex-dimorphism ⚧️, hormones.
Mouse 🐁 and turquoise killifish 🐟.
Views my own.
http://gero.usc.edu/labs/benayounlab/
ORCID: 0000-0002-7401-4777
Minhoo also leveraged #ASGARD to identify potential drugs that could revert transcriptional aging signatures across cell types and across species, yielding candidate conserved anti-ovarian aging compounds which will deserve further investigation. 5/5
October 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Minhoo also leveraged #ASGARD to identify potential drugs that could revert transcriptional aging signatures across cell types and across species, yielding candidate conserved anti-ovarian aging compounds which will deserve further investigation. 5/5
Granulosa and Theca cells, major somatic cell types of ovarian follicles, showed clear changes with aging, with some species-specific gene regulation, but also conserved changes. Importantly, expression of FSHR and OSGIN2 was consistently decreased across datasets and models. 4/5
October 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Granulosa and Theca cells, major somatic cell types of ovarian follicles, showed clear changes with aging, with some species-specific gene regulation, but also conserved changes. Importantly, expression of FSHR and OSGIN2 was consistently decreased across datasets and models. 4/5
Datasets were processed with a unified standardized pipeline for easy #integration and #comparison. This included analysis of cell proportion changes, differential gene expression, and potential drug repurposing targets. 3/5
October 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Datasets were processed with a unified standardized pipeline for easy #integration and #comparison. This included analysis of cell proportion changes, differential gene expression, and potential drug repurposing targets. 3/5
Minhoo identified a number of high-quality #ovarian aging datasets across mammalian species, spanning humans🚶♀️, monkeys🐒, mice 🐁, and goat🐐, with samples across the reproductive lifespan. We reasoned this would allow us to identify conserved signatures of #ovarian aging. 2/5
October 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Happy to share a new @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social from the lab, led by talented postdoctoral fellow #MinhooKim: "Single-cell exploration of ovarian aging across vertebrate models", a meta-analysis study of public ovarian aging sc/snRNA-seq data! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... A 🧵, 1/5 🧬🖥️🧪 #GeroSky
October 16, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Happy to share a new @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social from the lab, led by talented postdoctoral fellow #MinhooKim: "Single-cell exploration of ovarian aging across vertebrate models", a meta-analysis study of public ovarian aging sc/snRNA-seq data! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... A 🧵, 1/5 🧬🖥️🧪 #GeroSky
USC LDS Vice Dean Sean Curran opening the day!!!
September 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM
USC LDS Vice Dean Sean Curran opening the day!!!
#GLA2025 is on! attendees from all over and >100 trainee presentations (talks, flash talks, posters)!
Thanks to our sponsors for supporting the event!
#Hevolution @simonsfoundation.org @activemotifusa.bsky.social #CedarsSinai #Vwr #Echo #IDT and @cellpress.bsky.social editor Swapnila Ranu
Thanks to our sponsors for supporting the event!
#Hevolution @simonsfoundation.org @activemotifusa.bsky.social #CedarsSinai #Vwr #Echo #IDT and @cellpress.bsky.social editor Swapnila Ranu
September 5, 2025 at 3:54 PM
#GLA2025 is on! attendees from all over and >100 trainee presentations (talks, flash talks, posters)!
Thanks to our sponsors for supporting the event!
#Hevolution @simonsfoundation.org @activemotifusa.bsky.social #CedarsSinai #Vwr #Echo #IDT and @cellpress.bsky.social editor Swapnila Ranu
Thanks to our sponsors for supporting the event!
#Hevolution @simonsfoundation.org @activemotifusa.bsky.social #CedarsSinai #Vwr #Echo #IDT and @cellpress.bsky.social editor Swapnila Ranu
A story in 2 panels: submission of a manuscript on July 11th, 6 weeks ago. Inexistent communication from the journal, and a status as "with editor" the whole time. Emailed for an update after 4 and 5 weeks of inactivity. 1/2
#AcademicRant 🧪🧬
#AcademicRant 🧪🧬
August 26, 2025 at 12:29 AM
A story in 2 panels: submission of a manuscript on July 11th, 6 weeks ago. Inexistent communication from the journal, and a status as "with editor" the whole time. Emailed for an update after 4 and 5 weeks of inactivity. 1/2
#AcademicRant 🧪🧬
#AcademicRant 🧪🧬
Together, our data shows that increased transcriptional levels of #AluJB are sufficient to drive changes in many cellular processes related to the #hallmarks of #aging - thus suggesting that #TE derepression may exert causal effects on the #aging process rather than be a mere bystander. 8/9
July 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Together, our data shows that increased transcriptional levels of #AluJB are sufficient to drive changes in many cellular processes related to the #hallmarks of #aging - thus suggesting that #TE derepression may exert causal effects on the #aging process rather than be a mere bystander. 8/9
This led us to #functionally test whether these processes were directly impacted in IMR90 fibroblasts overexpressing #AluJB. Consistent with omic predictions, we observed decreased #respiratory rates, #S-phase accumulation and changes in #aggresome load! 7/9
July 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
This led us to #functionally test whether these processes were directly impacted in IMR90 fibroblasts overexpressing #AluJB. Consistent with omic predictions, we observed decreased #respiratory rates, #S-phase accumulation and changes in #aggresome load! 7/9
#Network analysis showed strong connectivity of regulated genes and proteins, especially relating to #protein #homeostasis, cell cycle control and #mitochondria biology. Importantly, these changes were coordinated across omic layers. 6/9
July 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
#Network analysis showed strong connectivity of regulated genes and proteins, especially relating to #protein #homeostasis, cell cycle control and #mitochondria biology. Importantly, these changes were coordinated across omic layers. 6/9
Interestingly, these multi-level changes led to differential #enrichment of a number of #aging related gene sets, including those related to #proteostasis, #mitochondria metabolism, #ECM remodeling and cell #proliferation. 5/9
July 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Interestingly, these multi-level changes led to differential #enrichment of a number of #aging related gene sets, including those related to #proteostasis, #mitochondria metabolism, #ECM remodeling and cell #proliferation. 5/9
Thus, we decided to overexpress #AluJB in primary IMR90 fibroblasts, and perform multi-omic profiling of its impact on the #transcriptome, #proteome and #secretome. We were surprised to see large scale multi-omic remodeling in response to #AluJB. 4/9
July 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Thus, we decided to overexpress #AluJB in primary IMR90 fibroblasts, and perform multi-omic profiling of its impact on the #transcriptome, #proteome and #secretome. We were surprised to see large scale multi-omic remodeling in response to #AluJB. 4/9
Intriguingly, higher endogenous #AluJB transcriptional levels were associated with enrichments of pathways related to #aging #hallmarks, including #proteostasis, cell cycle and #ECM remodeling. 3/9
July 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Intriguingly, higher endogenous #AluJB transcriptional levels were associated with enrichments of pathways related to #aging #hallmarks, including #proteostasis, cell cycle and #ECM remodeling. 3/9
This study started with a simple question: could #age-related upregulation of #TEs (without "jumping") be enough to shape cell health?
We thus set out to identify candidate elements, using a catalog of human fibroblast gene expression with #aging, revealing #AluJB as a candidate. 2/9
We thus set out to identify candidate elements, using a catalog of human fibroblast gene expression with #aging, revealing #AluJB as a candidate. 2/9
July 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
This study started with a simple question: could #age-related upregulation of #TEs (without "jumping") be enough to shape cell health?
We thus set out to identify candidate elements, using a catalog of human fibroblast gene expression with #aging, revealing #AluJB as a candidate. 2/9
We thus set out to identify candidate elements, using a catalog of human fibroblast gene expression with #aging, revealing #AluJB as a candidate. 2/9
The Benayoun lab is 8 years old today!!! Happy #labversary to this amazing team that has been believing in me to lead them ❤️
July 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
The Benayoun lab is 8 years old today!!! Happy #labversary to this amazing team that has been believing in me to lead them ❤️
#Ovarian #aging exerts systemic effects on women's health throughout life. Yet, it has too long been reduced to and dismissed as a mere conduit for #fertility rather than the main driver of women's frailty with aging.
2/3
2/3
July 14, 2025 at 4:16 PM
#Ovarian #aging exerts systemic effects on women's health throughout life. Yet, it has too long been reduced to and dismissed as a mere conduit for #fertility rather than the main driver of women's frailty with aging.
2/3
2/3
Excited to see this new review piece that we wrote together with Jennifer Garrison and Alison Kochersberger on the modern tools and approaches to study #ovarian #aging out this week at @genesdev.bsky.social!
genesdev.cshlp.org/content/earl... #GeroSky #WomensHealth 🧪🧬
A 🧵1/3
genesdev.cshlp.org/content/earl... #GeroSky #WomensHealth 🧪🧬
A 🧵1/3
July 14, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Excited to see this new review piece that we wrote together with Jennifer Garrison and Alison Kochersberger on the modern tools and approaches to study #ovarian #aging out this week at @genesdev.bsky.social!
genesdev.cshlp.org/content/earl... #GeroSky #WomensHealth 🧪🧬
A 🧵1/3
genesdev.cshlp.org/content/earl... #GeroSky #WomensHealth 🧪🧬
A 🧵1/3
✨✨ #GLAM2025 ✨✨ is back 9/5/2025 to showcase #geroscience trainee research! Registration and poster submission are open (and #FlashTalk selection for #undergrads!).
Event website: gero.usc.edu/laara/event/...
Thanks to @activemotifusa.bsky.social, #Hevolution and #VWR for their support!
Event website: gero.usc.edu/laara/event/...
Thanks to @activemotifusa.bsky.social, #Hevolution and #VWR for their support!
July 11, 2025 at 3:21 PM
✨✨ #GLAM2025 ✨✨ is back 9/5/2025 to showcase #geroscience trainee research! Registration and poster submission are open (and #FlashTalk selection for #undergrads!).
Event website: gero.usc.edu/laara/event/...
Thanks to @activemotifusa.bsky.social, #Hevolution and #VWR for their support!
Event website: gero.usc.edu/laara/event/...
Thanks to @activemotifusa.bsky.social, #Hevolution and #VWR for their support!
So proud of Ryan Lu who did a fantastic job defending his thesis today!!! His work on understanding sex differences in immune aging has shown how these questions can be explored mechanistically! #ProudMentor 🎉🍾🥂
July 10, 2025 at 10:48 PM
So proud of Ryan Lu who did a fantastic job defending his thesis today!!! His work on understanding sex differences in immune aging has shown how these questions can be explored mechanistically! #ProudMentor 🎉🍾🥂
Using #ChIPseq, we next interrogated what genes were direct targets of #Irf2 in young #female #macrophages, which revealed that #Hk3 (encoding for hexokinase, the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis) is repressed by #Irf2, providing a mechanism for female-specific age-related #glycolytic shift. 12/13
June 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Using #ChIPseq, we next interrogated what genes were direct targets of #Irf2 in young #female #macrophages, which revealed that #Hk3 (encoding for hexokinase, the rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis) is repressed by #Irf2, providing a mechanism for female-specific age-related #glycolytic shift. 12/13
Our top #TF candidate with the strongest #phenocopying of female-specific transcriptional remodeling an glycolytic rewiring was #Irf2. This TF is highly expressed in #young #female #macrophages, and shows decreased expression with #aging. 11/13
June 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Our top #TF candidate with the strongest #phenocopying of female-specific transcriptional remodeling an glycolytic rewiring was #Irf2. This TF is highly expressed in #young #female #macrophages, and shows decreased expression with #aging. 11/13
We performed a mini #shRNA knock-down screen for candidate #TFs, mimicking the effect of #female #aging on expression. This screen revealed that various aspects of #female #aging could be partially recapitulated by KD of specific TFs, including #transcriptomic, #phagocytosis and #glycolysis. 10/13
June 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
We performed a mini #shRNA knock-down screen for candidate #TFs, mimicking the effect of #female #aging on expression. This screen revealed that various aspects of #female #aging could be partially recapitulated by KD of specific TFs, including #transcriptomic, #phagocytosis and #glycolysis. 10/13
We leveraged our #multiomic 🧬 resource to identify candidate hormone-independent mediators of female-specific aging phenotypes, focusing on transcription factors #TFs as a molecule category. We identified 5 candidate #TFs with female-specific remodeling in #aging #macrophages, including #Irf2. 9/13
June 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
We leveraged our #multiomic 🧬 resource to identify candidate hormone-independent mediators of female-specific aging phenotypes, focusing on transcription factors #TFs as a molecule category. We identified 5 candidate #TFs with female-specific remodeling in #aging #macrophages, including #Irf2. 9/13
Our results suggest that (i) age-related decreases in #estrogen levels drive aspects of female-specific transcriptomic remodeling and phagocytosis defects, but that (ii) #metabolic rewiring is #independent of hormonal inputs. 8/13
June 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Our results suggest that (i) age-related decreases in #estrogen levels drive aspects of female-specific transcriptomic remodeling and phagocytosis defects, but that (ii) #metabolic rewiring is #independent of hormonal inputs. 8/13