Team

Felix M. Key - PI

I am a Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Infection Biology. Previously I was a postdoc fellow in the lab of Tami Lieberman at MIT (Cambridge, USA), where I identified rapid on-person microbial evolution being associated with chronic disease. Before that I worked as a postdoc associate in paleomicrobiology with Johannes Krause at the MPI for the Science of Human History (Jena, Germany), providing first molecular evidence that the transition from a hunter-gatherer to agricultural lifestyle during prehistory has led to the emergence of human adapted pathogens. I completed my PhD in population genetics under the supervision of Aida Andrés in the department of Svante Pääbo at the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany).

My current research involves the development and application of methods to integrate population genomic datasets to understand the evolution of bacterial pathogens on a historical (ancient DNA) and rapid (within person) time scale. CV (last update 8/2024) Twitter GoogleScholar

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Thomas Silvers - Postdoc

I received my PhD in Cancer Biology from Stanford University (USA) in 2023. I am interested in evolutionary optimality, its phenotypic determinants, and how it influences population dynamics in specific contexts of time and space. I am currently working on evolutionary inference problems that involve human microbiomes in the context of transmission and adaptation.

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Meike Soerensen - Lab Manager

Meike has thorough experience in microbiology and molecular biology. Meike is managing our wet lab and spearheading the implementation and application of robotic automation (Tecan-SciRobotics), culturing, and ancient DNA preparation.

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Lilly Bartsch - Ph.D. Student

I received my M.Sci. in Human Genetics from University College London and completed my thesis in the Lane lab, where I demonstrated the non-enzymatic synthesis of cysteine through a previously unexplored pathway, furthering research on the origins of life. For my B.Sc. project at UCL, I worked on horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. Within the Key group, I galvanise my interests in evolution, microbes, and computational biology by working on the genetic mechanisms driving the establishment and stability of the human microbiome.

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Martin Fenk - Ph.D. Student

I received my B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biology from the University of Regensburg (Germany) where I studied the transcriptomic regulation in a hyperthermopilic Archaeon. During this time, I became more and more interested in the evolution of microbes, driving their immense genetic variability and profound biological success. I joined the Key lab as a graduate student to dive deeper into the evolutionary genomics of microbes during health and disease. 

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Ian Light - Ph.D. Student

I received my B.A. with Honors from Brown University (USA) for my studies in Biology and Egyptology where I worked on studying mito-nuclear co-evolution and incompatibilities using genomic data within the Rand Lab. I am deeply interested in both evolution and ancient history, in addition to the ethics of research on the ancient past. I am combining my passions and past experience in my project in the Key lab focusing on understanding the evolution of ancient pathogens. 

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Veronica Rożek - Ph.D. Student

I earned my MSc in Microbiology and Infection from the University of Birmingham and my BSc in Microbiology and Biochemistry from the University of Sheffield. During my training I gained appreciation of rapid microbial evolution in an experimental setting and the power of whole genome analysis. At the Key lab I will amalgamate my prior experiences and my current research interest in pathogen evolution. My particular enthusiasm lies in exploring the evolutionary trajectories of pathogens, with the aim of enhancing our understanding about the emergence of virulent traits.

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Alumni

Anne Katherine Runge: Postdoc (2021-2024), now freelancing and travelling

Laura Ostertag: B. Sc. student (2023-2024), now pursuing a M.Sc. at U. of Helsinki (Finland)

Remmora Gomaid: M. Sc. student (2023-2024), now finishing her M.Sc. at Humboldt U. (Berlin)

Elina Coquery: intern summer 2023, now back at University Côte d'Azur finishing her MSc.

Lisa Skroblin: research assistant, now finishing MSc in Bioinformatics at Potsdam University

 

 

Pictures