New Faculty Profiles allow GSA members who are establishing their first labs to introduce themselves to our wider community. If you’d like to submit your profile, please complete this form.

Wolfgang Keil

Tenured CNRS researcher (CR) and Group Leader
Physics and Physical Chemistry Department
Institut Curie, Paris, France
Lab website

 

Briefly describe the ongoing and expected research projects as your lab gets up and running.

In short, my lab at Institut Curie studies development of the small roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) from a physics point of view. In groundbreaking work over the past decades, geneticists and developmental biologists have uncovered the gene networks responsible for developmental patterning, and they continue to do so in more detail. In our laboratory, we don’t aim to discover novel genes that regulate development. Rather, we try to conceptualize data about morphogenesis into coherent quantitative and predictive frameworks. In doing so, we hope to answer a different set of fascinating questions: How can development achieve such astonishing complexity and precision at the same time? Are there limits to developmental precision? How does development adapt to different environmental conditions? Is this adaptation coordinated across cells and across tissues?

To get to those answers, we develop novel technologies that improve our ability to obtain quantitative high-resolution dynamic data on C. elegans development (e.g., microfluidics for live imaging, quantitative perturbations of development, and software for automated large-scale phenotypic analyses). At the same time, we study several paradigmatic developmental patterning problems in the worm (e.g., cell-fate patterning during development of its egg-laying organ and its skin.) Finally, we develop physics-inspired mathematical frameworks to gain a predictive understanding of how the collective action of gene networks and environmental factors coordinate the emergence of biological shapes and patterns.

How has being a member of GSA helped you advance in your career? Why do you think societies like GSA are important? 

I only very recently became a member of the GSA. My PhD was in Theoretical Physics & Computational Neuroscience, and I did not fully appreciate the wonders of biology until my time as a postdoctoral fellow at The Rockefeller University. I learned about the GSA at my first ever International C. elegans conference. It was an absolutely overwhelming experience in many ways. As I was a newcomer to biology and to C. elegans research, this GSA meeting was invaluable in my introduction to the field and the community. I have experienced the GSA worm community as extremely welcoming, warm and supportive. And, of course, I have attended every worm meeting since!

Are you looking to recruit students and/or postdocs? If so, please describe and be sure to also post the opportunity to GeneticsCareers.org. 

Yes, we are! I would like to assemble a multidisciplinary team of scientists in my group: experimental and theoretical physicists, geneticists, microscopists, molecular biologists, computer scientists… My team welcomes people from diverse scientific backgrounds who share our passion for solving exciting puzzles in biology.

The Institut Curie has an interdisciplinary graduate program for international students (IC3i PhD program). Otherwise, graduate student candidates can matriculate through the doctoral school, “Physics at Île-de-France.” Postdoc candidates should check out my lab website and e-mail me for more details. We also very much welcome master’s students for short-term or longer-term internships in our team. Paris is one of the most exciting cities in the world, both from a scientific and an everyday life perspective. So, come join us on our journey!

What is your favorite thing about science or about your work? 

As much as I love the worm, I think people are even more interesting. That is why I really enjoy mentoring. Everybody is different, everybody has different ideas, questions, solutions, struggles. That’s even more true in an interdisciplinary group. I love to interact with scientists from different scientific backgrounds to figure out answers to fascinating questions or just to come up with the questions in the first place.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work? 

I love playing music of different sorts! I do classical singing in ensembles for early vocal music. l like to express myself playing jazz on the piano, preferably while jamming with some good friends. And from time to time, I pick up my accordion for practice to hopefully one day be able to decently play some “jazz manouche” and French chansons on it. I very much enjoy my regular runs along Canal de l’Ourcq, a lovely canal which passes right by my home in Paris. I try to go rock climbing/bouldering as often as time permits, and I have also recently picked up tennis.

Previous training experiences:

  • Postdoc fellow, Center for Studies in Physics and Biology and Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, The Rockefeller University (with Prof. Eric D Siggia and Prof. Shai Shaham)
  • PhD in Theoretical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-organization (with Prof. Fred Wolf)
  • Diploma studies in Physics, University of Jena, Germany
View all posts by Editorial Staff »

Read more in

  • Collage of 2021 Rosalind Franklin Award recipients

    Where are they now? Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award recipients share updates on their research

    Rosalind Franklin Young Investigator Award applications are open–make sure you submit your application or nomination of a colleague by September 30, 2024.

  • University of Minnesota researchers map genome of the last living wild horse species

    The study, published in G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, is part of larger conservation efforts to save Przewalski’s horse.

  • Congratulations to the Spring 2024 DeLill Nasser Awardees!

    GSA is pleased to announce the recipients of the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics for Spring 2024! Given twice a year to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, DeLill Nasser Awards support attendance at meetings and laboratory courses. The award is named in honor of DeLill Nasser, a long-time GSA supporter and National Science Foundation…

  • Carolyn Damilola headshot

    Carolyn Damilola: an NFS Rising Scientist on a lifelong quest to learn more

    Carolyn Damilola is an NFS Rising Scientist from Nigeria doing respiratory system research and paving the way for scientists from underrepresented communities through mentorship.

  • Text over a blue background image: Apply for up to $2,000 for your project from the Starter Culture Microgrant Program.

    What does a good microgrant proposal look like?

    Members of the Microgrant Review Committee share their tips for a successful proposal.

  • A blurred image of a human face is shown against a dark background.

    The first piece of the facial recognition puzzle

    New research in GENETICS gives a first peek at the molecular pathway involved in recognizing faces.

  • New Senior Editor Amy MacQueen joins GENETICS

    A new senior editor is joining GENETICS in the Genome Integrity and Transmission section. We’re excited to welcome Amy MacQueen to the editorial team.

  • Close up of an adult zebrafish with blue and white stripes in an aquarium with red lighting.

    Block party on the zebrafish sex chromosome

    Research in G3 identifies a gene regulatory block of the zebrafish genome responsible for overseeing the maternal-to-zygotic-transition.

  • Lemna Minor, the common duckweed

    Unraveling the mysteries of duckweed: epigenetic insights from Spirodela polyrhiza

    Research published in G3 offers insight into the impact of DNA methylation on clonal propagation in asexually reproducing plants.

  • Luciano Marraffini headshot

    A microbiologist’s quest to understand CRISPR in bacterial self-defense

    2024 Genetics Society of America Medal recipient Luciano Marraffini determined how CRISPR-Cas systems destroy genetic targets with precision, paving the way for gene editing technology development.

  • Elaine Ostrander headshot

    Unlocking mysteries of trait and disease heritability in dogs

    2024 Edward Novitski Prize recipient Elaine Ostrander, a pioneer of the domestic dog model, discovered numerous genes affecting dog size, morphology, behavior, and disease susceptibility—many of which have relevance in humans.

  • NSF-funded BIO-LEAPS Grant to Support Culture Change in Genetics

    GSA and collaborators Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue and Reclaiming STEM Institute launch NSF-funded BIO-LEAPS project to support culture change in genetics 

    We are thrilled to announce that the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is collaborating with the Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue (PGED) based in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, and the Reclaiming STEM Institute (RSI) on a Leading Culture Change Through Professional Societies of Biology (BIO-LEAPS) grant from the U.S. National Science…

  • Daman Saluja: Navigating Science and Policy in India

    In the Paths to Science Policy series, we talk to individuals who have a passion for science policy and are active in advocacy through their various roles and careers. The series aims to inform and guide early career scientists interested in science policy. This series is brought to you by the GSA Early Care­er Scientist…

  • Deborah Andrew headshot

    A fly geneticist’s journey into discovering rules of organ development

    2024 George W. Beadle Award recipient Deborah Andrew discovered new genes and pathways in Drosophila salivary gland organogenesis. Now, her work can help optimize cell secretion in therapeutic applications and fight malaria.

  • Małgorzata Gazda's headshot

    Małgorzata Gazda: How receiving the DeLill Nasser Award helped her land her dream job

    Have you ever experienced an event that changes the course of your life, or in this case, your career? Małgorzata (Gosia) Gazda is Assistant Professor at the University of Montreal and in 2022, she received the DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics, which she used to attend and present at the 2022 Population,…

  • Hongyu Zhao joins GENETICS as new Senior Editor

    A new senior editor is joining GENETICS in the Statistical Genetics and Genomics section. We’re excited to welcome Hongyu Zhao to the editorial team.

  • Julio Molina Pineda at TAGC 2024

    GSA Member Julio Molina Pineda Receives DeLill Nasser Award, Shines at TAGC 2024 

    “At any career stage, the GSA membership is an amazing investment for any genetics professional!” Julio Molina Pineda is a PhD Candidate in Cell and Molecular Biology and a Research Assistant at the University of Arkansas, and a Doctoral Academy Fellow at the Lewis Lab. In 2023, Julio was awarded the DeLill Nasser Award for…

  • Ed Grell at his dissecting microscope using ether to anesthetize his flies.

    In Memoriam: Ellsworth Herman Grell (1932–2023), a pioneer of Drosophila genome engineering and annotation

    Ellsworth (Ed) Grell blessed the Drosophila community through three enduring legacies: as a pioneer of chromosome mechanics, as a primary organizer and synthesizer of genetic knowledge in Drosophila, and as a graceful mentor to those fortunate to have known him personally. Ed grew up in rural Nebraska, completed his undergraduate studies at Iowa State, and…

  • Congratulations to the #Fungal24 Poster Award winners!

    We are pleased to announce the recipients of the GSA Poster Awards for posters presented at the 32nd Fungal Genetics Conference! Undergraduate and graduate student members of GSA were eligible for the awards, and a hard-working team of judges made the determinations. Congratulations to all! Felicia Ebot Ojong, The University of Georgia My research is focused…

  • Poster presentation tips for TAGC 2024

    You’ve been selected to present a poster at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 in March—you’ve celebrated, made plans to attend, now what? This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your research and engage with fellow members of the genetics community, so you want to make sure you’re prepared. We wanted to offer you some tips…

  • Maximize your TAGC 2024 experience 

    A guide to all that National Harbor & DC have to offer Are you joining us for The Allied Genetics Conference 2024 in March? Make the most of your #TAGC24 experience in National Harbor! We know the science will keep you busy, but you deserve to unwind and have some fun, so we’ve curated a…

  • Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Sarah Petrosky

    We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Sarah PetroskyMultimedia SubcommitteeUniversity of Pittsburgh Research Interest I am interested in understanding adaptation that has been happening recently in populations by dissecting the ways that genes underlying an adaptation…

  • TAGC 2024 Early Career Award Winners

    GSA is pleased to announce the winners of the early career awards presented at The Allied Genetics Conference 2024. These awards are specific to particular TAGC communities and recognize early career scientists’ outstanding work on their respective research organisms. The awardees will present their talks in keynote sessions at TAGC 2024.  Don’t miss the opportunity…

  • Preeminent geneticists recognized with revamped GSA Awards

    In 2022, GSA’s Board of Directors launched an audit to review the five major awards conferred by the Society. Today, we are thrilled to announce the recipients of the reimagined GSA Awards, including the new Genetics Society of America Early Career Medal. The scientists honored this year are recognized by their peers for their outstanding…

  • Fly Board funds outreach programs to spread the word about Drosophila research

    In 2020, the Fly Board voted to use part of its reserve fund to support efforts to increase trainee participation as well as equity and diversity in the Drosophila community. An awards committee decides how the money will be spent each year, and from 2020–2022, the committee posted a very broad call for applications from…

  • New members of the GSA Board of Directors: 2024–2026

    We are pleased to announce the election of four new leaders to the GSA Board of Directors: 2024 Vice President/2025 President Brenda Andrews Professor, University of Toronto It’s an honor to continue my association with the Society by serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors. I have broad knowledge of the ongoing activities…

  • The Fly Meeting is one-of-a-kind! Dros 2025 organizers share their excitement

    The 66th Annual Drosophila Research Conference promises to be a meeting rich with the latest in Drosophila research as well as opportunities to advance your career and connect with a global community of 1,400+ scientists. The organizers Todd Nystul, Michelle Bland, Leila Rieder, Amanda Crocker, and Justin Crocker are hard at work, planning a conference…

  • Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Olufemi Osonowo

    We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Olufemi Adekunle OsonowoCareer Development SubcommitteeDalhousie University Research Interest Metabolomics and genomics are two distinct but complimentary approaches that offer valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of complex traits, such…

  • Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Hector Mendoza

    We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Hector MendozaCommunication and Outreach SubcommitteeUniversity of Michigan Research Interest My research goals converge around the evolution of sexual reproduction. During my doctoral program, I investigated mitochondrial inheritance, a mechanism…