Abby Benninghoff
Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences
Toxicology, Diet and Cancer, Epigenetics
Contact Information
Office Hours: By appointmentOffice Location: AGRS 427
Phone: (435) 797-8649
Email: abby.benninghoff@usu.edu
Biography
Abby Benninghoff serves as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Student Services for the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences at Utah State University. She is also an Associate Professor in Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences and the School of Veterinary Medicine. In 1997, she received her B.S. with dual majors in Biochemistry and Biology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She then completed her doctoral research in Marine Science, with a focus on comparative endocrinology, at the University of Texas at Austin in 2004. Dr. Benninghoff then worked as a post-doctoral research associate at Oregon State University, where she received additional training in the areas of toxicology and carcinogenesis. In 2010, she joined the USU faculty and initiated a multidisciplinary research program in toxicology, cancer and epigenetics. Dr. Benninghoff's laboratory currently includes three graduate students and ten undergraduate student researchers. She also maintains ongoing collaborations with USU faculty in the departments of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science and Chemistry and Biochemistry. Dr. Benninghoff is an affiliate faculty member of the USTAR Applied Nutrition Research program, which has a research focus on gut microbiota, diet and health.
Teaching Interests
As Assoc. Dean for Research and Graduate Student Services, Dr. Benninghoff will continue to teach Science Communication (ADVS 5650/6650), a generalized course intended primarily for graduate students or undergraduate student researchers that covers the principles of effective science communication intended for scientific peers and general lay audiences. Instruction centers on effective written and/or oral communication for journal articles, proposals, conference presentation, public lectures and new media.
Research Interests
Research in Dr. Benninghoff’s laboratory is multi-disciplinary, covering topics ranging from diet and cancer to mechanisms of genome reprogramming and gene regulation to toxicology. A major goal of Dr. Benninghoff’s research program is to understand the influence of environmental factors on mechanisms of gene regulation in determining health and disease in animals and humans. Current projects in her lab include 1) a USDA-funded project to investigate the potential health benefits of functional foods (e.g., black raspberries) for prevention of inflammation-associated colorectal cancer; 2) a collaborative project with Dr. Ken White (Animal, Dairy and Sciences) to investigate mechanisms of aberrant genome reprogramming in cloned bovine embryos; and 3) a collaborative project with Dr. Lisa Berreau (Chemistry) investigating the impact of biologically-based CO-releasing molecules on inflammation in vitro. While seemingly disparate, these projects have connecting threads. For example, many of the genes aberrantly expressed in cancer cells are those critical for normal early embryo development. Also, the CO-releasing molecule structure was inspired by nature, based on a flavonoid chemical found in functional foods. Dr. Benninghoff has also recently developed a new collaboration with Dr. Jim Pestka at Michigan State University to investigate genomic responses to dietary DHA supplementation in a mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus. Dr. Benninghoff’s research program is currently supported by funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, the National Institutes of Health.
Awards
Outstanding Graduate Mentor of the Year, 2016
Utah State University
Distinguished Associate Professor of Honors Education, 2014
Utah State University
Sunrise Speaker USU Office of Research and Graduate Studies, 2018
Keynote Speaker Empowering Teaching Excellence Conference, 2016
Award of Excellence to W-3122 Multi-State Research Group, 2016
Western Extension and Research Directors, USDA
Graduate Mentor of the Year, 2015
College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
Faculty Researcher of the Year, 2014
Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences
Faculty Researcher of the Year, 2013
Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences
Colgate/Palmolive Grants for Alternative Research Award, 2006
Society of Toxicology and the Colgate/Palmolive Company
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2006
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Publications | Abstracts
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
- Walter, R.B, Tilton, S.C, Orner, G.O, Benninghoff, A., Bailey, G.S, Williams, D.E, (2008). Carcinogenesis models: focus on xiphophorus and rainbow trout: Oceans and Human Health. Risks and Remedies from the Seas.
Publications | Book Chapters
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Journal Articles
Academic Journal
- Popova, M., Soboleva, T., Benninghoff, A., Berreau, L., (2020). CO Sense and Release Flavonols: Progress toward the Development of an Analyte Replacement PhotoCORM for Use in Living Cells . ACS Omega, 17, 10021-10033.
- Lazarus, L.S, Benninghoff, A., Berreau, L., (2020). Development of Triggerable, Trackable and Targetable Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecules. Acc. Chem. Res. , 53, 2273-2285.
- Rajasinghe, L.D, Li, Q.Z, Zhu, C., Yan, M., Chauhan, P.S, Wierenga, K.A, Bates, M.A, Harkema, J.R, Benninghoff, A., Pestka, J.J, (2020). Omega-3 fatty acid intake suppresses induction of diverse autoantibody repertoire by crystalline silica in lupus-prone mice. Autoimmunity
- Wierenga, K.A, Strakovsky, R.S, Benninghoff, A., Rajasinghe, L.D, Lock, A.L, Harkema, J.R, Pestka, J.J, (2020). Requisite Omega-3 HUFA Biomarker Thresholds for Preventing Murine Lupus Flaring. Frontiers in Immunology, 11
- Gilley, K.N, Wierenga, K.A, Chauhuan, P.S, Wagner, J.G, Lewandowski, R.P, Ross, E.A, Lock, A.L, Harkema, J.R, Benninghoff, A., Pestka, J.J, (2020). Influence of total western diet on docosahexaenoic acid suppression of silica-triggered lupus flaring in NZBWF1 mice. Plos One, 15:5, e0233183. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233183
- Benninghoff, A., Hintze, K.J, Monsanto, S., Rodriguez, D.M, Hunter, A., Phatak, S., Pestka, J.J, Van Wettere, A., Ward, R.E, (2020). Consumption of the total Western diet promotes colitis and inflammation-associated colorectal cancer in mice. Nutrients, 12:2, 544. doi: 10.3390/nu12020544
- Ward, R.E, Benninghoff, A., Hintze, K.J, (2020). Food matrix and the microbiome: considerations for pre-clinical chronic disease studies. Nutrition Research, 78, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2020.02.012
- Benninghoff, A., Bates, M.A, Chauhan, P.S, Wierenga, K.A, Gilley, K.N, Holian, A., Harkema, J.R, Pestka, J.J, (2019). Docosahexaenoic Acid Consumption impedes early interferon- and chemokine-related gene expression while suppressing silica-triggered flaring of murine lupus. Frontiers in Immunology, 10, 2851. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02851
- Soboleva, T., Simons, C.R, Arcidiacono, A., Benninghoff, A., Berreau, L., (2019). Extra- vs. Intracellular Delivery of CO: Does it Matter for a Stable, Diffusible Gasotransmitter?. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 62, 9990-9994.
- Rodriguez, D., Benninghoff, A., Aardema, N., Phatak, S., Hintze, K.J, (2019). Basal Diet Determined Long-Term Composition of the Gut Microbiome and Mouse Phenotype to a Greater Extent than Fecal Microbiome Transfer from Lean or Obese Human Donors. Nutrients, 11:7, 1630. doi: doi.org/10.3390/nu11071630
- Bates, M.A, Benninghoff, A., Gilley, K.N, Holian, A., Harkema, J.R, Pestka, J.J, (2019). Mapping of Dynamic Transcriptome Changes Associated with Silica-Triggered Autoimmune Pathogenesis in the Lupus-Prone NZBWF1 Mouse. Frontiers in Immunology, doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00632
- Cuthbert, J., Russell, S., White, K.L, Benninghoff, A., (2019). The maternal-to-zygotic transition in bovine in vitro-fertilized embryos is associated with marked changes in small non-coding RNAs. Biology of Reproduction, 100:2, 331-350. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioy190
- Bates, M.A, Akbari, P., Gilley, K.N, Jackson-Humbles, D.N, Wagner, J.G, Li, N., Kopec, A.K, Wierenga, K.M, Brandenberger, C., Holian, A., Benninghoff, A., Harkema, J.R, Pestka, J.J, (2018). Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid Prevents Silica-Induced Development of Pulmonary Ectopic Germinal Centers and Glomerulonephritis in the Lupus-Prone NZBWF1 Mouse. Frontiers in Immunology, 9, article 2002. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02002
- Popova, M., Soboleva, T., Ayad, S., Benninghoff, A., Berreau, L., (2018). A Visible Light-activated Quinolone Carbon Monoxide-releasing Molecule: Prodrug and Albumin-assisted Delivery Enable Anti-cancer and Potent Anti-inflammatory Effects. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 140:30, 9721–9729. doi: 10.1021/jacs.8b06011
- Soboleva, T., Esquer, H.J, Anderson, S.N, Berreau, L., Benninghoff, A., (2018). Mitochondrial-Localized Versus Cytosolic Intracellular CO-Releasing Organic PhotoCORMs: Evaluation of CO Effects Using Bioenergetics. ACS Chemical Biology, doi: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00387
- Hintze, K.J, Benninghoff, A., Cho, C.E, Ward, R.E, (2018). Modeling the Western diet for pre-clinical investigations. Advances in Nutrition, 9:3, 263-271. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmy002
- Shi, B., Thomas, A., Benninghoff, A., Sessions, B., Meng, Q., Parasar, P., Rutigliano, H., White, K.L, Davies, C., (2018). Genetic and epigenetic regulation of major histocompatibility complex 1 class I gene expression in bovine trophoblast cells. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 79:e12779, 1-12. doi: 10.1111/aji.12779
- Soboleva, T., Benninghoff, A., Berreau, L., (2017). An H2S-sensing/CO-releasing Flavonol that Operates via Logic Gates. ChemPlusChem, 82, 1408-1412.
- Soboleva, T., Esquer, H., Benninghoff, A., Berreau, L., (2017). Sense and Release: A Thiol-responsive Flavonol-based PhotoCORM that Operates via a Multiple-input AND Logic Gate. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 139, 9435-9438. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b04077
- Benninghoff, A., (2017). Data on the effect of in utero exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on genomewide patterns of DNA methylation in lung tissues. Data in Brief, 13, 498-513. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2017.04.047
- Hintze, K.J, Benninghoff, A., Ward, R.E, (2017). Improving animal diets to increase relevance to human populations. Functional Foods in Health and Disease , 7:5, 329-337.
- Benninghoff, A., (2017). DNA methylation in lung tissues of mouse offspring exposed in utero to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Food and Chemical Toxicology, doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2017.04.047
- Benninghoff, A., (2017). Amplify your teaching impact: capitalizing on 1-on-1 instruction. Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence, 1:1, 6-22.
- Ward, R.E, Benninghoff, A., Healy, B.J, Li, M., Vagu, B., Hintze, K.J, (2017). Consumption of the total Western diet differentially affects the response to green tea in rodent models of chronic disease compared to the AIN93G diet. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201600720
- Monsanto, S.P, Hintze, K.J, Ward, R.E, Larson, D.P, Lefevre, M., Benninghoff, A., (2016). The new total Western diet for rodents does not induce an overweight phenotype or alter parameters of metabolic syndrome in mice. Nutrition Research, 36:9, 1031-1044. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2016.06.002
- Anderson, S.N, Richards, J.M, Esquer, H.J, Benninghoff, A., Arif, A.M, Berreau, L., (2015). A New Structurally-Tunable 3-Hydroxyflavone Motif for Visible Light-induced CO-releasing Molecules. ChemistryOpen, 4, 590-594.
- Benninghoff, A., Lefevre, M., Hintze, K.J, Ward, R.E, Broadbent, J.R, (2015). Fighting cancer with functional foods: new approaches to investigate the interactions of dietary bioactive chemicals and the gut microbiome. Journal of Developments in Sustainable Agriculture, 10:1, 34-54. doi: 10.11178/jdsa.10.34
- Davis, A.P, Benninghoff, A., Thomas, A., Sessions, B., White, K.L, (2015). DNA methylation of the LIN28 pseudogene family. BMC Genomics, 16, 287. doi: 10.1186/s12864-015-1487-3
- Saraf, S.L, Fish, T., Benninghoff, A., Buelt, A., Smith , R.C, Berreau, L., (2014). Photochemical Reactivity of RuII(n6-p-cymene) Flavonolate Complexes. Organometallics, 33, 6341-6351.
- Hintze, K.J, Lefevre, M., Ward, R.E, Benninghoff, A., Broadbent, J.R, Cox, J., (2014). Broad scope method for creating humanized animal models for animal health and disease research through antibiotic treatment and human fecal transfer. Gut Microbes, 5, 183-191. doi: 10.4161/gmic.28403
- Polejaeva, I., Broek, D., Walker, S., Zhou, W., Walton, M., Benninghoff, A., Faber, D., (2013). Longitudinal study of reproductive performance of female cattle produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. PLoS One, 8:12, e84283. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084283
- Benninghoff, A., Fish, T., Louderback, M., Williams, D., (2013). The role of estrogen receptor beta (ERb) in transplacental cancer prevention by indole-3-carbinol. Cancer Prevention Research.. Cancer Prevention Research, 6:4, 339-348. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-12-0311
- Shorey, L., Maughan, A., Wlliams, D., Dashwood, R., Ho, E., Benninghoff, A., (2012). 3,3’-Diindolylmethane induces G1 arrest and apoptosis in human acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia cells. PLoS One, 7:4, e34975. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034975
- Hintze, K.J, Benninghoff, A., Ward, R.E, (2012). Formulation of the Total Western Diet (TWD) as a basal diet for rodent cancer studies.. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60:27, 6736-6742. doi: 10.1021/jf204509a
- Benninghoff, A., Orner, G.A, Buchner, C., Hendricks, J.D, Duffy, A.M, Williams, D.E, (2012). Promotion of hepatocarcinogenesis by perfluoroalkyl acids in rainbow trout. Toxicological Sciences, 125:1, 69-78. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr267
- Benninghoff, A., Bisson, W., Koch, D., Koluri, S.K, Williams, D.E, (2011). Estrogen-like activity of polyfluorinated chemicals in vivo and interaction with human and trout estrogen receptors in vitro. Toxicological Sciences, 120:1, 42-58. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfq379
- Salinas, K., Serrano, J., Higgins, L., Benninghoff, A., Williams, D., Walker, C., Hemmer, M., (2010). Identification of two isoforms of vitelline envelope protein in the plasma of rainbow trout exposed to 17β-estradiol. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 77:11, 963-970. doi: 10.1002/mrd.21244
- Williams, D.E, Willard, K.D, Orner, G.A, Hendricks, J.D, Pereira, C., Benninghoff, A., Bailey, G.S, (2009). Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and ultra-low dose cancer studies. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology and Pharmacology, 149:2, 175-81. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2008.12.002
- Krueger, S.K, Henderson, M.C, Siddens, L.K, VanDyke, J.E, Benninghoff, A., Andrew, A.P, Furnes, B., Schlenk, D., Williams, D.E, (2009). Characterization of Sulfoxygenation and Structural Implications of Human Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase Isoform 2 (FMO2.1) Variants S195L and N413K. Drug Metabolism and Disposition, 37:8, 1785-1791. doi: 10.1124/dmd.109.027201
- Benninghoff, A., Williams, D.E, (2008). Identification of a transcriptional fingerprint of estrogen exposure in rainbow trout liver. Toxicological Sciences, 101:1, 65-80. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfm238
- Tilton, S.C, Orner, G.A, Benninghoff, A., Hendricks, J.D, Williams, D.E, (2008). Genomic profiling reveals an alternate mechanism for hepatic tumor promotion by perfluorooctanoic acid in rainbow trout. Environmental Health Perspectives, 116:8, 1047-55.
- Mohamed, J.S, Benninghoff, A., Holt, G.J, Khan, I.A, (2007). Developmental expression of the G protein-coupled receptor 54 and three GnRH mRNAs in the teleost fish cobia. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, 38:2, 235-44. doi: 10.1677/jme.1.02182
- Faulk, C.E, Benninghoff, A., Holt, G.J, (2007). Ontogeny of the gastrointestinal tract and selected digestive enzymes in cobia (Rachycentron canadum) larval development. Journal of Fish Biology, 70, 567-583. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01330.x
- Benninghoff, A., (2007). Toxicoproteomics – the next step in the evolution of environmental biomarkers?. Toxicological Sciences , 95:1, 1-4. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfl157
- Benninghoff, A., Thomas, P., (2006). Gonadotropin regulation of testosterone synthesis by theca and granulosa cells of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus): I. Role of CaMK in calcium-mediated steroidogenesis and interactions between calcium and adenylyl cyclase pathways. General and Comparative Endocrinology , 147:3, 276-287. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2006.01.013
- Benninghoff, A., Thomas, P., (2006). Gonadotropin regulation of testosterone synthesis by theca and granulosa cells of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus): II. Involvement of a mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. General and Comparative Endocrinology , 147:3, 288-296. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2006.01.014
- Thomas, P., Dressing, G., Pang, Y., Berg, H., Tubbs, C., Benninghoff, A., Doughty, D., (2006). Progestin, estrogen and androgen G-protein coupled receptors in fish gonads.. Steroids, 71:4, 310-316. doi: 10.1016/j.steroids.2005.09.015
- Benninghoff, A., Thomas, P., (2005). Involvement of calcium and calmodulin in the regulation of ovarian steroidogenesis in Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) and modulation by Aroclor 1254. General and Comparative Endocrinology, 144:3, 211-223. doi: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2005.06.005
- Benninghoff, A., Thomas, P., (2003). Interactions of calcium and cyclic AMP signaling pathways regulating steroidogenesis in primary cultured theca and granulosa cells of Atlantic croaker. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, 28:1-4, 327-328. doi: 10.1023/B:FISH.0000030572.66804.65
Professional Journal
- Hatton, T., Barnett, S., Benninghoff, A., Rashid, K., (2012). Productivity studies utilizing recombinant CHO cells in stirred-tank bioreactors: a comparative study between pitched-blade and backed-bed reactor systems. BioProcessing Journal, 11:2, 29-36.
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.
Publications | Other
An asterisk (*) at the end of a publication indicates that it has not been peer-reviewed.