Felix M Key
@keyfm.bsky.social
Research Group Leader @mpiib_berlin.
#Genetics of clinical and ancient #microbes to understand the #evolution of #infectious #diseases and the #microbiome
mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2003543/key-lab
#Genetics of clinical and ancient #microbes to understand the #evolution of #infectious #diseases and the #microbiome
mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2003543/key-lab
Pinned
Felix M Key
@keyfm.bsky.social
· Aug 11
ScienceDirect.com | Science, health and medical journals, full text articles and books.
authors.elsevier.com
First paper of the Key lab is out! We present the first prehistoric Y. pestis genome from a domesticated animal - a sheep - providing evidence that domestication elevated human infection risk with plague thousands of years ago. authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
Reposted by Felix M Key
We are recruiting!
If you like evolutionary biology, microbial genomics, and host-pathogen interactions we have a PhD opening at @ugiatucl.bsky.social using population-scale metagenomics to map global phage diversity and uncover evolutionary signatures that could point to new antimicrobials.
If you like evolutionary biology, microbial genomics, and host-pathogen interactions we have a PhD opening at @ugiatucl.bsky.social using population-scale metagenomics to map global phage diversity and uncover evolutionary signatures that could point to new antimicrobials.
November 24, 2025 at 10:50 AM
We are recruiting!
If you like evolutionary biology, microbial genomics, and host-pathogen interactions we have a PhD opening at @ugiatucl.bsky.social using population-scale metagenomics to map global phage diversity and uncover evolutionary signatures that could point to new antimicrobials.
If you like evolutionary biology, microbial genomics, and host-pathogen interactions we have a PhD opening at @ugiatucl.bsky.social using population-scale metagenomics to map global phage diversity and uncover evolutionary signatures that could point to new antimicrobials.
Reposted by Felix M Key
A PhD project in human genomics with me is open for applications through the @nrpdtp.bsky.social. Use biobank-scale genomics datasets to answer long-standing questions about the evolution of our species: biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/the...
The genomics of modern human biological uniqueness (BERGSTROM_U26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
Modern humans are unique as a species, having spread widely and transformed the world with technology and large-scale societies. But until relatively recently (~50,000 years ago)…
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 17, 2025 at 10:23 AM
A PhD project in human genomics with me is open for applications through the @nrpdtp.bsky.social. Use biobank-scale genomics datasets to answer long-standing questions about the evolution of our species: biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/the...
Our new preprint, led by Martin (@mfenk.bsky.social), is online. We address the microbiome’s role as a source and incubator of acute infections by combining prospective collection of native samples with population-wide, culture-based sequencing. Please check out Martin’s wonderful thread. ⬇️🧵🎉
Is the human microbiome a source for hospital-associated infections (HAI) and are any genetic changes associated with HAI? In our new preprint, we longitudinally reconstruct the evolutionary processes within the human microbiome leading up to HAI: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Colonization, translocation, and evolution of opportunistic pathogens during hospital-associated infections
Many commensal bacteria that peacefully reside in the human microbiome are also able to cause acute opportunistic infections. Emerging evidence suggests that within-host evolution contributes to infec...
doi.org
October 27, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Our new preprint, led by Martin (@mfenk.bsky.social), is online. We address the microbiome’s role as a source and incubator of acute infections by combining prospective collection of native samples with population-wide, culture-based sequencing. Please check out Martin’s wonderful thread. ⬇️🧵🎉
Reposted by Felix M Key
📣 Open call for life science #interns
Our International Summer #Internship 2026 is now open for applications. Three-months fully funded internships at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
👉 Information on the internship projects and how to apply: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/mpiib-isi
Our International Summer #Internship 2026 is now open for applications. Three-months fully funded internships at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
👉 Information on the internship projects and how to apply: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/mpiib-isi
October 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
📣 Open call for life science #interns
Our International Summer #Internship 2026 is now open for applications. Three-months fully funded internships at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
👉 Information on the internship projects and how to apply: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/mpiib-isi
Our International Summer #Internship 2026 is now open for applications. Three-months fully funded internships at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology.
👉 Information on the internship projects and how to apply: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/mpiib-isi
Reposted by Felix M Key
Two group leader positions available in the broader areas of RNA science, RNA technologies, and RNA medicine. Attractive packages and a great environment. Come and join us at Helmholtz RNA Würzburg, Bavaria.
October 8, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Two group leader positions available in the broader areas of RNA science, RNA technologies, and RNA medicine. Attractive packages and a great environment. Come and join us at Helmholtz RNA Würzburg, Bavaria.
Reposted by Felix M Key
Two new positions are available at the MPI for Evolutionary Biology to support development of our genomics facility. Both stand to become permanent. Both offer a ton of opportunity to engage in a wide range of creative science.
Pls repost 🙏
www.evolbio.mpg.de/3838377/job_...
Pls repost 🙏
www.evolbio.mpg.de/3838377/job_...
Two full-time positions | Bioinformatician (m/f/d) + Applications Specialist (m/f/d) - Molecular Biology
The Genome Facility at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön is seeking to fill two positions (full time) to support and expand our core facility services.
www.evolbio.mpg.de
October 6, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Two new positions are available at the MPI for Evolutionary Biology to support development of our genomics facility. Both stand to become permanent. Both offer a ton of opportunity to engage in a wide range of creative science.
Pls repost 🙏
www.evolbio.mpg.de/3838377/job_...
Pls repost 🙏
www.evolbio.mpg.de/3838377/job_...
Reposted by Felix M Key
🔊 Fully-funded 4yr PhD studentship with the NWB DTP, working on novel regulators of bacterial nitrogen metabolism 🦠
Primary supervisor: @ariannebabina.bsky.social (University of Glasgow)
Co-supervisors: myself (Queen’s Belfast)+ Dónal Wall (Glasgow)
🌟 please share 🌟
www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate...
Primary supervisor: @ariannebabina.bsky.social (University of Glasgow)
Co-supervisors: myself (Queen’s Belfast)+ Dónal Wall (Glasgow)
🌟 please share 🌟
www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate...
University of Glasgow - Postgraduate study - Centres for Doctoral Training - NorthWest Biosciences - Our Projects - Underpinning Bioscience - Arianne Babina
www.gla.ac.uk
October 1, 2025 at 6:06 AM
🔊 Fully-funded 4yr PhD studentship with the NWB DTP, working on novel regulators of bacterial nitrogen metabolism 🦠
Primary supervisor: @ariannebabina.bsky.social (University of Glasgow)
Co-supervisors: myself (Queen’s Belfast)+ Dónal Wall (Glasgow)
🌟 please share 🌟
www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate...
Primary supervisor: @ariannebabina.bsky.social (University of Glasgow)
Co-supervisors: myself (Queen’s Belfast)+ Dónal Wall (Glasgow)
🌟 please share 🌟
www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate...
Great to see the preprint & code out. Large scale within host evolution analysis made easy. Happy that we could contribute to the development. Kudos to all involved including @i-light-maka.bsky.social & @mfenk.bsky.social from the Key lab.
Precisely calling mutations across hundreds of bacterial isolates has been hard, requiring manual filtering and expertise.
Until now, using AccuSNV.
Herui Liao trained an ML model based on our previous meticulously called SNVs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Until now, using AccuSNV.
Herui Liao trained an ML model based on our previous meticulously called SNVs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
High-accuracy SNV calling for bacterial isolates using deep learning with AccuSNV
Accurate detection of mutations within bacterial species is critical for fundamental studies of microbial evolution, reconstructing transmission events, and identifying antimicrobial resistance mutati...
www.biorxiv.org
September 30, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Great to see the preprint & code out. Large scale within host evolution analysis made easy. Happy that we could contribute to the development. Kudos to all involved including @i-light-maka.bsky.social & @mfenk.bsky.social from the Key lab.
Fascinating study delineating plasmid evolution during the last 100 years.
Delighted to see our paper studying the evolution of plasmids over the last 100 years, now out! Years of work by Adrian Cazares, also Nick Thomson @sangerinstitute.bsky.social - this version much improved over the preprint. Final version should be open access, apols.
Thread 1/n
Thread 1/n
September 26, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Fascinating study delineating plasmid evolution during the last 100 years.
Reposted by Felix M Key
New ERC funded computational postdoc position in my lab! We are looking for someone who will study the genomics of bacterial evolution using samples from experimental evolution and clinical trials. Lots of opportunities for interesting and fun collaboration!
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Job Details
my.corehr.com
September 25, 2025 at 2:31 PM
New ERC funded computational postdoc position in my lab! We are looking for someone who will study the genomics of bacterial evolution using samples from experimental evolution and clinical trials. Lots of opportunities for interesting and fun collaboration!
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...
Reposted by Felix M Key
I have funding for a 2-year dry-lab postdoc to join our team @humanevouu.bsky.social 🧪 (Deadline Oct 21st)
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Postdoctoral position in Population Genomics - Uppsala University
Postdoctoral position in Population Genomics, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University
www.uu.se
September 17, 2025 at 9:15 AM
I have funding for a 2-year dry-lab postdoc to join our team @humanevouu.bsky.social 🧪 (Deadline Oct 21st)
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
The project will utilize modern and #aDNA data from humans and sheep to study environmental adaptation (including method development and simulations).
Please share!
www.uu.se/en/about-uu/...
Reposted by Felix M Key
❓ Do you develop a #nextflow pipeline for #metagenomics, #metataxonomics, #metatranscriptomics, #metaproteomics, etc?
🧑💻 I'm looking for #bioinformatics developers to give demos of their #opensource pipelines to the scientific community in a ‘Meta-*omics Nextflow pipeline community exhibition […]
🧑💻 I'm looking for #bioinformatics developers to give demos of their #opensource pipelines to the scientific community in a ‘Meta-*omics Nextflow pipeline community exhibition […]
Original post on genomic.social
genomic.social
September 16, 2025 at 6:31 AM
❓ Do you develop a #nextflow pipeline for #metagenomics, #metataxonomics, #metatranscriptomics, #metaproteomics, etc?
🧑💻 I'm looking for #bioinformatics developers to give demos of their #opensource pipelines to the scientific community in a ‘Meta-*omics Nextflow pipeline community exhibition […]
🧑💻 I'm looking for #bioinformatics developers to give demos of their #opensource pipelines to the scientific community in a ‘Meta-*omics Nextflow pipeline community exhibition […]
Open postdoc position in in my lab in Berlin @mpiib-berlin.mpg.de.
Join us to push the frontier in ancient microbial genomics. Please apply until Oct 17th. Reach out in case you have any questions.
www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2193291/job_...
Join us to push the frontier in ancient microbial genomics. Please apply until Oct 17th. Reach out in case you have any questions.
www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2193291/job_...
September 15, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Open postdoc position in in my lab in Berlin @mpiib-berlin.mpg.de.
Join us to push the frontier in ancient microbial genomics. Please apply until Oct 17th. Reach out in case you have any questions.
www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2193291/job_...
Join us to push the frontier in ancient microbial genomics. Please apply until Oct 17th. Reach out in case you have any questions.
www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2193291/job_...
Reposted by Felix M Key
We are looking for a postdoc to study single-cell transcriptional heterogeneity in the human skin microbiome.
We have a new protocol mostly developed, but need someone to see it through. Experience with protocol dev or RNAseq appreciated.
Funded by a new grant from MIT-HEALS.
We have a new protocol mostly developed, but need someone to see it through. Experience with protocol dev or RNAseq appreciated.
Funded by a new grant from MIT-HEALS.
September 12, 2025 at 4:49 PM
We are looking for a postdoc to study single-cell transcriptional heterogeneity in the human skin microbiome.
We have a new protocol mostly developed, but need someone to see it through. Experience with protocol dev or RNAseq appreciated.
Funded by a new grant from MIT-HEALS.
We have a new protocol mostly developed, but need someone to see it through. Experience with protocol dev or RNAseq appreciated.
Funded by a new grant from MIT-HEALS.
Reposted by Felix M Key
We have a new article out in Cell! Learn more about plague in prehistoric livestock: "Bronze Age Yersinia pestis genome from sheep sheds light on hosts and evolution of a prehistoric plague lineage" www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
August 12, 2025 at 11:40 AM
We have a new article out in Cell! Learn more about plague in prehistoric livestock: "Bronze Age Yersinia pestis genome from sheep sheds light on hosts and evolution of a prehistoric plague lineage" www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Reposted by Felix M Key
The FIRST International Conference on Palaeogenomics will happen in Stockholm, Sweden, June 23-26, 2026!
Topics will encompass all corners of ancient DNA research, from humans to wildlife and sediments🧬🦣💀🦠
Save the dates ✅
Check the website icp2026.palaeogenomics.org and follow us for updates!
Topics will encompass all corners of ancient DNA research, from humans to wildlife and sediments🧬🦣💀🦠
Save the dates ✅
Check the website icp2026.palaeogenomics.org and follow us for updates!
May 27, 2025 at 8:48 AM
The FIRST International Conference on Palaeogenomics will happen in Stockholm, Sweden, June 23-26, 2026!
Topics will encompass all corners of ancient DNA research, from humans to wildlife and sediments🧬🦣💀🦠
Save the dates ✅
Check the website icp2026.palaeogenomics.org and follow us for updates!
Topics will encompass all corners of ancient DNA research, from humans to wildlife and sediments🧬🦣💀🦠
Save the dates ✅
Check the website icp2026.palaeogenomics.org and follow us for updates!
Reposted by Felix M Key
My group at is hiring a PhD student to explore how fungal pathogens that live in the environment will adapt their genomes, acquire new phenotypes, and perhaps even increased infectivity as a result of climate change. Please share!
More info and applications at @ jobs.uni-jena.de/vrbup
More info and applications at @ jobs.uni-jena.de/vrbup
July 29, 2025 at 3:41 PM
My group at is hiring a PhD student to explore how fungal pathogens that live in the environment will adapt their genomes, acquire new phenotypes, and perhaps even increased infectivity as a result of climate change. Please share!
More info and applications at @ jobs.uni-jena.de/vrbup
More info and applications at @ jobs.uni-jena.de/vrbup
Reposted by Felix M Key
Ancient Yersinia pestis genome discovered in 4,000-year-old sheep tooth sheds new light on a mysterious infectious disease that plagued prehistoric Eurasia. New research by @keyfm.bsky.social and @i-light-maka.bsky.social now published in @cellpress.bsky.social: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Bronze Age Yersinia pestis genome from sheep sheds light on hosts and evolution of a prehistoric plague lineage
A Yersinia pestis genome from a Bronze Age domesticated sheep provides insight into
the host range, evolution, and possible transmission scenarios of an ancient lineage
of the plague-causing bacteria,...
www.cell.com
August 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Ancient Yersinia pestis genome discovered in 4,000-year-old sheep tooth sheds new light on a mysterious infectious disease that plagued prehistoric Eurasia. New research by @keyfm.bsky.social and @i-light-maka.bsky.social now published in @cellpress.bsky.social: www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
First paper of the Key lab is out! We present the first prehistoric Y. pestis genome from a domesticated animal - a sheep - providing evidence that domestication elevated human infection risk with plague thousands of years ago. authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
ScienceDirect.com | Science, health and medical journals, full text articles and books.
authors.elsevier.com
August 11, 2025 at 4:11 PM
First paper of the Key lab is out! We present the first prehistoric Y. pestis genome from a domesticated animal - a sheep - providing evidence that domestication elevated human infection risk with plague thousands of years ago. authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
Reposted by Felix M Key
We are on the lookout for postdocs for two different projects at the intersection of ecology, evolution, and the human microbiome.
See thread for more information and reach out!
See thread for more information and reach out!
July 22, 2025 at 7:34 PM
We are on the lookout for postdocs for two different projects at the intersection of ecology, evolution, and the human microbiome.
See thread for more information and reach out!
See thread for more information and reach out!
Congrats Lisa and team.
Finally online!
Our latest research is out @nature.com: We show that non-antibiotic drugs can disrupt colonization resistance, raising the risk of enteric infections.
rdcu.be/ewwrG
Our latest research is out @nature.com: We show that non-antibiotic drugs can disrupt colonization resistance, raising the risk of enteric infections.
rdcu.be/ewwrG
Non-antibiotics disrupt colonization resistance against enteropathogens
Nature - Non-antibiotic drugs from a wide range of therapeutic classes can alter the ability of gut commensals to resist invasion by enteropathogens, a previously underappreciated side effect of...
rdcu.be
July 17, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Congrats Lisa and team.
Reposted by Felix M Key
📢Job alert!
W3 (Full) Professorship in Human Ecology at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen.
⛓️💥 berufungen.uni-tuebingen.de
Deadline for applications: May 22, 2025 🗓
Please share and repost 🙏🏼 🤩
For questions please contact Prof. Harvati.
W3 (Full) Professorship in Human Ecology at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen.
⛓️💥 berufungen.uni-tuebingen.de
Deadline for applications: May 22, 2025 🗓
Please share and repost 🙏🏼 🤩
For questions please contact Prof. Harvati.
April 10, 2025 at 10:42 AM
📢Job alert!
W3 (Full) Professorship in Human Ecology at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen.
⛓️💥 berufungen.uni-tuebingen.de
Deadline for applications: May 22, 2025 🗓
Please share and repost 🙏🏼 🤩
For questions please contact Prof. Harvati.
W3 (Full) Professorship in Human Ecology at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen.
⛓️💥 berufungen.uni-tuebingen.de
Deadline for applications: May 22, 2025 🗓
Please share and repost 🙏🏼 🤩
For questions please contact Prof. Harvati.
Reposted by Felix M Key
We offer 2 PhD Positions in Evolutionary Biology!
1️⃣ Evolutionary Developmental Biology – Craniofacial evolution. (March 31, 2025)
2️⃣ Evolution of Polygenic Traits – Genetic adaptation in Drosophila. (April 30, 2025)
More here: www.evolbio.mpg.de/1639156/Job_...
#PhD #EvoDevo #Genetics
1️⃣ Evolutionary Developmental Biology – Craniofacial evolution. (March 31, 2025)
2️⃣ Evolution of Polygenic Traits – Genetic adaptation in Drosophila. (April 30, 2025)
More here: www.evolbio.mpg.de/1639156/Job_...
#PhD #EvoDevo #Genetics
Current job offers
www.evolbio.mpg.de
March 19, 2025 at 7:20 AM
We offer 2 PhD Positions in Evolutionary Biology!
1️⃣ Evolutionary Developmental Biology – Craniofacial evolution. (March 31, 2025)
2️⃣ Evolution of Polygenic Traits – Genetic adaptation in Drosophila. (April 30, 2025)
More here: www.evolbio.mpg.de/1639156/Job_...
#PhD #EvoDevo #Genetics
1️⃣ Evolutionary Developmental Biology – Craniofacial evolution. (March 31, 2025)
2️⃣ Evolution of Polygenic Traits – Genetic adaptation in Drosophila. (April 30, 2025)
More here: www.evolbio.mpg.de/1639156/Job_...
#PhD #EvoDevo #Genetics
Reposted by Felix M Key
We are searching for a new professor in genetics (W3) at Osnabrück University. Come and join us.
👇
www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...
👇
www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...
18 FB 5 Professorship (m/f/d) Genetics - Universität Osnabrück
www.uni-osnabrueck.de
February 21, 2025 at 7:14 AM
We are searching for a new professor in genetics (W3) at Osnabrück University. Come and join us.
👇
www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...
👇
www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...
Ancient pathogen DNA from animals can shed light on zoonotic processes in the deep past,but to this day reconstructed genomes are rare. In our new ms we explore the possibility of identifying pathogen DNA from the zooarchaeological record across 6000 years of Eurasian history doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Probing the zooarchaeological record across time and space for ancient pathogens
Zoonoses are among the greatest threats to human health, with many zoonotic pathogens believed to have emerged during prehistory. Palaeomicrobiological investigations of the zooarchaeological record h...
doi.org
February 24, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Ancient pathogen DNA from animals can shed light on zoonotic processes in the deep past,but to this day reconstructed genomes are rare. In our new ms we explore the possibility of identifying pathogen DNA from the zooarchaeological record across 6000 years of Eurasian history doi.org/10.1101/2025...