Our long term goal is to use an integrated approach, combining developmental genetics, cell biology, genomics and mathematical modeling to understand how organisms evolve to changes in the environment. Our main model system is the nematode, which offer many advantages for this integrative approach. We have been studying some non-Caenorhabditis nematode species that have many features not present in C. elegans, but that are useful as models for fundamental biological phenomena:
- Developmental basis for aging: We are studying a species of nematode that produces genetically identical genders with distinct lifespans; this model allows intra-specific comparisons in which no genetic or environmental confounding effects are present. The nematode can be used to model more complex organisms that include humans because recent work revealed that genes modulating aging are highly conserved in evolution.
- Cross-generational inheritance: Epigenetic inheritance across generations is relatively widespread in living organisms. However, in many cases it is unclear how stimuli experienced by one generation is passed to following generations. We are studying a species of nematode in which the gender of the progeny depends on environmental cues experienced by the mother. We are studying the mechanisms of this mode of inheritance.
- Asymmetric cell division: Some of the cellular diversity during development is generated by asymmetric cell divisions. We are using a nematode model in which two kinds of sperm are generated by an asymmetric cell division (Shakes et al, 2011). Because the progeny of each kind of sperm is easily identifiable, we are using this nematode to find the cellular and genetic basis of asymmetric cell division.
1994 -1999- Ph.D. in Developmental Biology, Universitat Gottingen and Max Planck Institute
for biophysical Chemistry, Gottingen, Germany
1993-1994 Diploma in Biology, Universitat Heidelberg and European Molecular Biology
Laboratories, Heidelberg, Germany.
1988-1992 Bachelor's degree in Biology, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil.
Member, Society for the Study of Evolution
Member, European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Member, Genetics Society of America
Member, Society for Developmental Biology
- 'Adams, Sally, 'Pathak, Prachi, 'Kittelman, Maike, 'Jones, Alun R. C., 'Mallon, Eamonn B., 'Pires-daSilva, Andre, 2022. 'Sexual morph specialisation in a trioecious nematode balances opposing selective forces. Scientific Reports, 12
- Robles, Pedro, Turner, Anisa, Zuco, Giusy, Adams, Sally, Paganopolou, Panagiota, Winton, Michael, Hill, Beth, Kache, Vikas, Bateson, Christine, Pires da Silva, Andre´, 2021. Parental energy-sensing pathways control intergenerational offspring sex determination in the nematode Auanema freiburgensis. BMC Biology, 19 (1)
- Adams, Sally, Pathak, Prachi, Shao, Hongguang, Lok, James B., Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2019. Liposome-based transfection enhances RNAi and CRISPR-1 mediated mutagenesis in non-model nematode systems. Scientific Reports, 9
- Tandonnet, Sophie, Koutsovoulos, Georgios D., Adams, Sally, Cloarec, Delphine, Parihar, Manish, Blaxter, Mark L., Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2019. Chromosome-wide evolution and sex determination in the three-sexed nematode auanema rhodensis. G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics, 9 (3), pp. 1211-1230
- Shih, P -Y., Lee, J. S., Shinya, R., Kanzaki, N., Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, Badroos, J. M., Goetz, E., Sapir, A., Sternberg, P. W., 2019. Newly identified nematodes from Mono Lake exhibit extreme arsenic resistance. Current Biology, 29 (19), pp. 3339-3344.E4
- Tandonnet, Sophie, Farrell, Maureen C., Koutsovoulos, Georgios D., Blaxter, Mark L., Parihar, Manish, Sadler, Penny L., Shakes, Diane C., Pires da Silva, Andre´, 2018. Sex- and gamete-specific patterns of X chromosome segregation in a trioecious nematode. Current Biology, 28 (1), pp. 93-99
- Winter, Ethan S., Schwarz, Anna, Fabig, Gunar, Feldman, Jessica L., Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, Müller-Reichert, Thomas, Sadler, Penny L., Shakes, Diane C., 2017. Cytoskeletal variations in an asymmetric cell division support diversity in nematode sperm size and sex ratios. Development, 144 (18), pp. 3253-3263
- Kanzaki, Natsumi, Kiontke, Karin, Tanaka, Ryusei, Schwarz, Anna, Müller-Reichert, Thomas, Chaudhuri, Jyotiska, Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2017. Description of two three-gendered nematode species in the new genus Auanema (Rhabditina) that are models for reproductive mode evolution. Scientific Reports, 7
- Ancell, Henry, Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2017. Sex-specific lifespan and its evolution in nematodes. Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology, 70, pp. 122-129
- Tandonnet, Sophie, Pires-da Silva, Andre, 2016. Phenotypic plasticity and developmental innovations in nematodes. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development, 39, pp. 8-13
- Chaudhuri, Jyotiska, Bose, Neelanjan, Tandonnet, Sophie, Adams, Sally, Zuco, Giusy, Kache, Vikas, Parihar, Manish, Reuss, Stephan H. von, Schroeder, Frank C., Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2015. Mating dynamics in a nematode with three sexes and its evolutionary implications. Scientific Reports, 5, pp. 1-10
- Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, Parihar, Manish, 2012. Evo-devo of the germline and somatic gonad in nematodes. Sexual Development, Vol.7 (No.1-3), pp. 163-170
- Chaudhuri, Jyotiska, Parihar, Manish, Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2011. An introduction to Worm Lab : from culturing worms to mutagenesis. Journal of Visualized Experiments, Vol.47
- Shakes, Diane C., Neva, Bryan J., Huynh, Henry, Chaudhuri, Jyotiska, Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2011. Asymmetric spermatocyte division as a mechanism for controlling sex ratios. Nature Communications, Vol.2 (No.1)
- Chaudhuri, Jyotiska, Kache, Vikas, Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2011. Regulation of sexual plasticity in a nematode that produces males, females, and hermaphrodites. Current Biology, Vol.21 (No.18), pp. 1548-1551
-
Grbic, Miodrag, Van Leeuwen, Thomas, Clark, Richard M., Rombauts, Stephane, Rouzé, Pierre, Grbic, Vojislava, Osborne, Edward J., Dermauw, Wannes, Thi Ngoc, Phuong Cao, Ortego, Félix, Hernández-Crespo, Pedro, Diaz, Isabel, Martinez, Manuel, Navajas, Maria, Sucena, Élio, Magalhães, Sara, Nagy, Lisa, Pace, Ryan M., Djuranovic, Sergej, Smagghe, Guy et al (Select to open full list), 2011.
- Meik, Jesse M., Lawing, A. Michelle, Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2010. Body size evolution in insular speckled rattlesnakes (Viperidae : Crotalus mitchellii). PLoS One, 5 (3)
- Meik, Jesse M., Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2009. Evolutionary morphology of the rattlesnake style. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 9 (1)
- Click, Arielle, Savaliya, Chandni H, Kienle, Simone, Herrmann, Matthias, Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2009. Natural variation of outcrossing in the hermaphroditic nematode Pristionchus pacificus. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 9 (1)
- Long, T., Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2009. The snake box : a novel approach for safely restraining venomous snakes. The Herpetological Bulletin, Vol.108, pp. 34-35
- Balastik, M., Ferraguti, F., Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, Lee, T. H., Alvarez-Bolado, G., Lu, K. P., Gruss, P., 2008. Deficiency in ubiquitin ligase TRIM2 causes accumulation of neurofilament light chain and neurodegeneration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol.105 (No.33), pp. 12016-12021
- Moreira-Pinto, Beatriz, Pires da Silva, Andre´, 2017. Comparative reproductive biology in nematodes. Reference Module in Life Sciences, Elsevier BV
- Kranse, Olaf, Beasley, Helen, Adams, Sally, da Silva, Andre Pires, Bell, Chris, Lilley, Catherine, Urwin, Peter, Bird, David, Miska, Eric, Smant, Geert, Gheysen, Godelieve, Jones, John, Viney, Mark, Abad, Pierre, Maier, Thomas R., Baum, Thomas J., Siddique, Shahid, Williamson, Valerie, Akay, Alper, den Akker, Sebastian Eves-van, 2021. Towards genetic modification of plant-parasitic nematodes : delivery of macromolecules to adults and expression of exogenous mRNA in second stage juveniles. G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics, Genetics Society of America
- Tandonnet, Sophie, Farrell, Maureen C., Koutsovoulos, Georgios, Blaxter, Mark, Parihar, Manish, Sadler, Penny L., Shakes, Diane, Pires-da Silva, Andre´ Francisco, 2017. Gender- and gamete-specific patterns of X chromosome segregation in a three-gendered nematode. Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory
- Pires da Silva, Andre´, 2017. Data for Sex- and gamete-specific patterns of X chromosome segregation in a trioecious nematode. Mendeley
Title | Funder | Award start | Award end |
---|---|---|---|
An intrinsic polarising signal for asymmetric cell divisions | Leverhulme Trust | 01 Apr 2020 | 31 Mar 2024 |
Gamete-mediated transmission of parental experience | Leverhulme Trust | 01 Sep 2016 | 31 Aug 2019 |
Overactivity in growth and its effects on rates of ageing | BBSRC | 01 Jul 2014 | 30 Jun 2017 |