Jorge Benach
Encyclopedia
Jorge Benach is a medical researcher at the State University of New York
(SUNY) at Stony Brook
in New York
state. Benach is the chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics
and Microbiology
. Benach's main area of research is the tick borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
which is the causative agent of Lyme disease
.
Benach also has begun to investigate organisms that could be used as bioterrorism
agents, specifically Francisella tularensis
, the bacterial agent of tularemia
.
Benach graduated with a PhD from Rutgers University
in 1972. Benach was named to a National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council (NIAID
) in 1998 and was named a 1992 Fulbright-Hays Fellow
and Exchange Professor.
, off the coast of New York. Benach and Bosler later co-authored the book Lyme Disease and Related Disease Disorders, New York Academy of Sciences (September 1988).
In the fall of 1981, Benach, then at the New York State Health Department, provided NIH researcher Willy Burgdorfer
with collections of I. dammini (scapularis) ticks from Shelter Island, as part of an ongoing investigation of Rocky Mounted spotted fever on Long Island. It was in the midgut of two of those ticks that Burgdorfer, looking for RMSF rickettsiae, noticed the “poorly stained, rather long, irregularly coiled spirochetes” that he realized might be the cause of the erythema chronicum migrans rash of Lyme disease. Benach subsequently supplied Burgdorfer with more field-collected ticks from Shelter Island, along with sera from clinically diagnosed patients with Lyme disease. The collaborative effort enabled Burgdorfer to confirm his suspicions about the new spirochete.
Benach and pathology
colleague Marc Golightly developed the critical laboratory test to detect the presence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, an ELISA
test that became the original “gold standard” for Lyme diagnosis.
Benach continues to work with borrelia organisms at the Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University. Benach chairs the scientific and advisory board of the Tick-Borne Disease Institute of the New York State department of health and is an ad-hoc committee member of the National Research Fund for Tick-Borne Diseases.
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
(SUNY) at Stony Brook
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The State University of New York at Stony Brook, also known as Stony Brook University, is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, about east of Manhattan....
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state. Benach is the chair of the Department of Molecular Genetics
Molecular genetics
Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. Molecular genetics employs the methods of genetics and molecular biology...
and Microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
. Benach's main area of research is the tick borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi
Borrelia burgdorferi
Borrelia burgdorferi is a species of Gram negative bacteria of the spirochete class of the genus Borrelia. B. burgdorferi is predominant in North America, but also exists in Europe, and is the agent of Lyme disease....
which is the causative agent of Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
.
Benach also has begun to investigate organisms that could be used as bioterrorism
Bioterrorism
Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. For the use of this method in warfare, see biological warfare.-Definition:According to the...
agents, specifically Francisella tularensis
Francisella tularensis
Francisella tularensis is a pathogenic species of gram-negative bacteria and the causative agent of tularemia or rabbit fever. It is a facultative intracellular bacterium....
, the bacterial agent of tularemia
Tularemia
Tularemia is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. A Gram-negative, nonmotile coccobacillus, the bacterium has several subspecies with varying degrees of virulence. The most important of those is F...
.
Benach graduated with a PhD from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1972. Benach was named to a National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council (NIAID
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health , an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services...
) in 1998 and was named a 1992 Fulbright-Hays Fellow
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
and Exchange Professor.
Lyme Disease Research
Benach was one of the early researchers in Lyme disease. Benach and Edward Bosler, Ph.D. collaborated in the dogged and dangerous work of gathering and testing ticks for disease-causing pathogens at the Mashomack Preserve on Shelter IslandShelter Island (town), New York
Shelter Island is a town and island at the eastern end of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It forms the tip of Suffolk County and is separated from the rest of the county by water. The population was 2,228 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, off the coast of New York. Benach and Bosler later co-authored the book Lyme Disease and Related Disease Disorders, New York Academy of Sciences (September 1988).
In the fall of 1981, Benach, then at the New York State Health Department, provided NIH researcher Willy Burgdorfer
Willy Burgdorfer
Willy Burgdorfer, an American scientist born and educated in Basel, Switzerland, is an international leader in the field of medical entomology. He is famous for his discovery of the bacterial pathogen that causes Lyme disease, a spirochete named Borrelia burgdorferi in his honor.-Background:Dr....
with collections of I. dammini (scapularis) ticks from Shelter Island, as part of an ongoing investigation of Rocky Mounted spotted fever on Long Island. It was in the midgut of two of those ticks that Burgdorfer, looking for RMSF rickettsiae, noticed the “poorly stained, rather long, irregularly coiled spirochetes” that he realized might be the cause of the erythema chronicum migrans rash of Lyme disease. Benach subsequently supplied Burgdorfer with more field-collected ticks from Shelter Island, along with sera from clinically diagnosed patients with Lyme disease. The collaborative effort enabled Burgdorfer to confirm his suspicions about the new spirochete.
Benach and pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
colleague Marc Golightly developed the critical laboratory test to detect the presence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, an ELISA
ELISA
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay , is a popular format of a "wet-lab" type analytic biochemistry assay that uses one sub-type of heterogeneous, solid-phase enzyme immunoassay to detect the presence of a substance in a liquid sample."Wet lab" analytic biochemistry assays involves detection of an...
test that became the original “gold standard” for Lyme diagnosis.
Benach continues to work with borrelia organisms at the Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University. Benach chairs the scientific and advisory board of the Tick-Borne Disease Institute of the New York State department of health and is an ad-hoc committee member of the National Research Fund for Tick-Borne Diseases.