Tom Beneke

Tom Beneke is an independent Junior Research Group Leader at the Chair of Cell and Developmental Biology within the Biocenter at the University of Würzburg. His research focuses on Leishmania parasites, studying their pathogenic mechanisms and host interactions using advanced CRISPR-based genomic tools. He holds an EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Marie Curie Skłodowska Fellowship, and has secured funding from DFG and DRUID. Beneke's lab investigates how Leishmania species manipulate macrophage migration to control disease dissemination, employing high-throughput CRISPR screens and novel genetic methods like LeishBASEedit. Key research areas include drug resistance, tissue tropism, and functional genomics in parasitic protozoans.

Education: PhD from University of Oxford (2015–2019), PostDoc at Sir William Dunn School of Pathology (2019–2020). Industry experience at OXGENE (2020–2022) included CRISPR screening for target discovery. Current lab members include PhD students, postdocs, and master's students working on CRISPR technologies and Leishmania pathogenesis.

Scientific awards include EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021), Marie Curie Fellowship (2022), and grants from DFG (2023–present) and DRUID (2023–present). Over 20 peer-reviewed publications span CRISPR methodologies, Leishmania genetics, and parasite motility. The lab collaborates globally on projects like developing reference strains for gene editing and dissecting host-parasite interactions.

Advising and grants: Supervises 5+ graduate students and manages funding from multiple agencies. Current projects include CRISPR base-editing screens and functional dissection of species-specific mechanisms in Leishmania. The lab also maintains a dynamic team of technicians and alumni contributors.