Lab alumni

Since 2015:
Noémie Poli – Research Intern

Noémie did a Master in Environmental Biology at the University of Fribourg from 2021-2023. She joined the Keel lab in October 2023 for a research internship during which she investigated bacterial isolates from the plant rhizosphere for phenotypic and genomic characteristics.
Géraldine Menoud – Master student

Géraldine joined the Keel lab in February 2024 to carry out her First-step project within the Master program in Molecular Life Sciences of the University of Lausanne. Her project explored the role of a large bacterial toxin in the zebrafish and insect pathogenicity of Pseudomonas isolates. The project is carried out in collaboration with Kinki Jim from the Veening lab.
Nadine Harmsen – SNSF Junior Researcher

Nadine did a Master in Biology with specialisation in Microbiology and Immunology at the ETH Zurich from 2021-2023. She joined the the Keel lab in June 2023 as SNSF Junior Researcher to work in a European BiodivERsA network project on how disease suppressive soils and their microbial communities can affect the performance of emerging fungal pathogens and pest insects.
Ursina Rathgeb – PhD student (co-supervised with Niko Geldner / DBMV)

Ursina joined the lab of Prof. Niko Geldner  at the Department of Molecular Plant Biology and our lab as a PhD candidate on a Gebert-Rüf Microbials joint project with the research group of  Prof. Harm-Anton Klok at EPFL to visualise bacterial chemotaxis and vectoring of nano particles towards plant roots.

Pilar Vesga – Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Pilar performed her PhD thesis in the Plant Pathology – Biological Control group at ETH Zürich where she focused on the molecular traits involved in the interaction of plant-beneficial Pseudomonas bacteria with insects. Pilar joined the Keel lab in October 2020 as PostDoc to work in a European BiodivERsA network project on how disease suppressive soils and their microbial communities can affect the performance of emerging fungal pathogens and pest insects.

Atiyé Ata Muhammad – Lab technician trainee

Atiyé Ata joined the Keel lab as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé Lausanne in November 2022.

Céline Terrettaz – PhD Student

Céline joined the Keel lab as a PhD candidate to investigate the role of extracellular polysaccharides in colonization and insect pathogenicity of beneficial pseudomonads that live in close association with roots.

Aline Altenried – Premaster Intern

Aline is a pre-Master Biology student from the University of Fribourg. She joined the Keel lab in October 2021 to do a research internship during which she investigates environmental Pseudomonas strains for phenotypic and genomic characteristics.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Martina-Crea.jpgMartina Crea – Master student

Martina joined the Keel lab in March 2021 as a Master student in Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology from the Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Varese, Italy, to carry out her full Master work on the molecular weaponry related to viral particles involved in interference competition of Pseudomonas bacteria.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Margaux-Corset.jpgMaragaux Corset – Master student

Margaux joined the Keel lab in October 2021 to carry out her First-step project within the Master program in Molecular Life Sciences of the University of Lausanne. She characterised bacterial wheat rhizosphere isolates with the aim to build a representative synthetic community.

Tatiana Eugster – Lab technician trainee

Tatiana joined the Keel lab as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé Lausanne in April 2021.

Jérémy Cardon – Lab technician trainee

Jeremy joined the Keel lab as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé Lausanne in December 2019.

Zacharie Ngamenie – Master Student

Zacharie joined the Keel lab in July 2019 as a student of the Master program on Agricultural Sciences of the ETH Zürich. to carry out her Master thesis project on interbacterial competition.

Alexandre Erbetta – Master Student

Alexandre He joined the Keel lab in February 2019 to carry out his Master project on interbacterial competitiveness traits of plant-beneficial pseudomonads.

Carolina Munoz Alzate – Lab technician

Carolina joined the Keel lab as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé Lausanne during the summer semester 2019.

 Nadine Harmsen – Summer Internship Student

Nadine joined the Keel lab in July 2019 as a Bachelor in Biology student of the University of Lausanne to carry out a Summer internship project on interbacterial competition.

Nicolas Vuille – Research fellow

Nicolas did a Master of Science in Biogeosciences (degree 2018)  at the Universities of Lausanne and Neuchâtel. He joined the Keel lab in March 2019 as a research fellow on a project on interbacterial competition.

MariaMaria Péchyne Tarr – Senior researcher

Maria holds a PhD in Biochemistry. She joined the DMF in 1998 as research assistant of Prof. Dieter Haas. In September 2003 she moved to the Keel group. Maria made major contributions to various projects aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in interaction of plant-beneficial pseudomonads with plants and pest insects.

Samantha Gozel – Master Student

Samantha joined the Keel lab during the winter semester 2018/2019 to carry out her First-step project within the Master program in Molecular Life Sciences of the University of Lausanne.

Antoine Jacot – Lab technician

Antoine joined the Keel lab as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé in Lausanne during the summer semester 2018.

Pascale Flury – Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Pascale finished her Master studies in Plant Sciences at the University of Basel with a thesis on plant innate immunity 2011 in the group of Prof. Thomas Boller. In 2012, she joined the group of Dr. Monika Maurhofer at ETH Zurich as a PhD student in the Plant Science Center PhD Program Science & Policy (degree in November 2016). She then joined the Keel lab for one year to work within the National Research Program NRP 68 Phase II on Soil as a Resource. Pascale studied  combinations of beneficial pseudomonads and entomopathogenic nematodes formulated in alginate-based beads for root pest control. She is now senior researcher at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).

Nicola 4-croppedNicola Imperiali – PhD Student

Nicola joined the Keel lab in February 2012 to carry out his Master project within the Master program in Molecular Life Sciences (degree in 2013). He then started his PhD work within the National research program NRP 68 on Soil as a Resource. Nicola developed FACS-based approaches to study the influence of soil types and agricultural practices on the expression of plant-beneficial  traits in root-associated pseudomonads. He was also involved in field testing of the beneficial microorganisms for pest control in Switzerland and in the USA. He successfully defended his PhD thesis in May 2018.

 Daniela Nunes Clemente – Lab technician

Daniela joined the Keel group as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé in Lausanne during the winter semester 2017/2018.

 Béatrice Tappy – Master Student

Béatrice joined the Keel lab during the Winter semester 2017/2018 to carry out her First-step project within the Master program in Molecular Life Sciences of the University of Lausanne.

 Julien Fiaux – Lab technician

Julien joined the Keel group as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé in Lausanne during the summer semester 2017.

 tim-rufenacht Tim Rüfenacht – Lab technician

Tim joined the Keel group as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé in Lausanne during the winter semester 2016/2017.

 Silvia Brochet webSilvia Brochet – Master student

Silvia completed her Bachelor studies in Cell Molecular Biology at the University of Turin. She enrolled for the Master program in Molecular Life Sciences of the University of Lausanne in September 2015. She joined the Keel lab in February 2016 to carry out a Master project on the role cell envelope-associated components in insect colonization and pathogenicity of Pseudomonas. In March 2017, she joined the lab of Philipp Engel as a PhD student.

laurent-casiniLaurent Casini – Master Student

Laurent  joined the Keel lab during the winter semester 2016/2017 to carry out his First Step project in Master program in Molecular Life Sciences of the University of Lausanne. He is now PhD student in the group of Justine Collier at DMF.

 Samantha DucSamantha Duc – Research fellow

Samantha worked in the Keel lab as research collaborator in  2016.

 Vincent Vauthey-croppedVincent Vauthey – Lab technician

Vincent joined the Keel lab as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé in Lausanne in 2016.

 Fanny LouviotFanny Louviot – Internship student

Fanny joined the Keel lab to carry out a Summer internship project in 2016.

 PeterPeter Kupferschmied – PhD student

Peter did his Master’s studies in Microbiology and immunology at ETH Zurich. He joined the Keel lab in 2011 to carry out a PhD thesis project  aimed at understanding the role of an insecticidal toxin and LPS biosynthesis during insect infection by plant-beneficial pseudomonads. In July 2015, he successfully defended his PhD thesis for which he received the 2017 UNIL FBM Faculty Prize. He is now at Swiss Federal Plant Protection Service at the Federal Office for Agriculture.

 Christelle VelattaChristelle Velatta – Lab technician

Christelle joined the Keel lab as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé in Lausanne during the winter semester 2015/2016

 Estelle IfridEstelle Ifrid – Research fellow

Estelle worked in the Keel lab as research collaborator in  2016.

 Cindy Dupuis 400x500Cindy Dupuis – Research fellow

Cindy joined the Keel lab as fellow of the BNF Swiss National qualification program during winter 2015/2016

 Tatiana SokoloffTatiana Sokoloff – Internship student

Tatiana joined the Keel lab for a Summer internship project in 2015 on the role exopolysaccharides in insect colonization and pathogenicity of Pseudomonas.

 Titouan-coppedTitouan Laessle – Internship student

Titouan  joined the Keel lab for a Summer internship project in 2015 to study to which extent agricultural soils support plant-beneficial functions in bacteria.

 Arnaud DurusselArnaud Durussel – Lab technician

Arnaud joined the Keel group as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé in Lausanne during the summer semester 2015.

 TiancongTiancong Chai – Master student

Tiancong joined the Keel lab from February 2014 to February 2015 to carry out a Master project on genetics and role of lipopolysaccharides in Pseudomonas insect and plant interaction. He is now PhD student in the group of Justine Collier at DMF.

 MarinaMarina Stojiljkovic – Master student

Marina joined the Keel lab from February 2014 to February 2015 to carry out a Master project on the role of cell envelope-associated components in insect colonization and pathogenicity of Pseudomonas.

 TanjaTania Meylan – Lab technician

Tania joined our lab as biology lab technician from the Ecole supérieure de la santé in Lausanne  during the winter semester 2014/2015.

MartaMarta Schmitt – BNF fellow

Marta worked in the Keel lab as fellow of the BNF Swiss National qualification program in 2014/2015.

Before 2015:

PhD students

2007-2011: Joana Meyer (co-supervised with Monika Maurhofer, ETH Zurich)
2006-2011: Laurène Rochat
2004-2007: Melanie Bottiglieri
2001-2005: Eric Baehler
2000-2001: Kirsten Bang Lejbølle (co-supervised with Jan Sørensen, KVL Copenhagen)

Postdocs

2010: Vincent Turner
2006-2008: Tanja Scheublin (common project with Jan van der Meer and Ian Sanders)
2005: Eric Baehler
2001: Theo Smits (common project with Hauke Harms, EPFL)

Scholarship of Swiss Government

2012-2014: Karent Paola Bermudez Valdes (from National University of Colombia)

Master and Diploma students

2013: Carmen Menzi
2012: Nicola Imperiali
          Nicolò Tosetti
          Raphaël Groux
2011: Flavia Büchler
          Frank Oechslin
2010: Sina Ebersold
2009: Naomi Borel
2008: Esdra Gilardi
          Olivier Binggeli
2007: Fiorenza Baiano
          Viorel Munteanu
          Andrea Cereghetti
2006: Nicolas Pradervand
          Nicolas Wenner
          Grégory Aubert
2005: Milos Stojanov
2004: Patrice de Werra
          Laurène Rochat
          Vincent Turner
2003: Jessica Bouwmeester
          Olivier Raduljica
          Sophie Mathys
          Mélanie Bottiglieri
2002: Nathalie Wenger
           Robin Tecon
2001: Florence Adamer
2000: Christel Genoud
          Eric Baehler
1998: Arnaud Seematter

Internships

2015:  Rebecca Depierraz
2014:  Ludovic Andreotti
2013:  Loic Pillard
Marion Müller
2011:  Ludovico Formenti
2003: Ranjit Pai (from Southern Illinois University Carbondale)
2002: Morgane Artaud (from Blaise Pascal University, Clermont-Ferrand)

Scientific collaborators

2012:  Jérôme Wassef
2011:  Dragica Radovanovic
           Isabelle Vernez
2010: Thierry Perruchoud
           Ganimete Imeri Selimi
           Naomi Borel
2008:  Evin Danisman
2006:  Claudia Pasche
2005:  Laure Allenbach
2004:  Isabelle Flückiger
2003:  Ruth Salto
2000:  Nathaliane Burger

Laboratory apprentices
2014: Valentin Favre
          Romane Keller
2013: Timothé Perrenoud
          Adil Ismailji
2012: Madoé Adote
          Jéremy Pittet
2011:  William Jakob
           Livia Masciulli Vitale
2010:  Caspar Miriam
           Terry Neuhaus
2009:  Olivier Elmiger
           Natacha Traber
2008:  Charlène Raclot
           David Schöttli
2007:  Vincent Deytard
           Nicole Zufferey
2006:  Cindy Wood-Nicolet
           Christèle Perrin

Visiting scientists
2012:  Javier Vanegas Guerrero, PhD student from National University of Colombia
            Pascale Flury, PhD student from ETH Zurich
2009:  Rodrigo Mendez, Postdoc from Wageningen University
2008:  Beat Ruffner, PhD student from ETH Zurich
2007-2008:  Abbas Sharifi Tehrani, professor on sabbatical leave from University of Teheran
2006-2008:  Alexandre Jousset, PhD student from University of Göttingen (several short stays)
            Patrice de Werra, PhD student from ETH Zurich (several short stays)
2001:  Jens Efsen Johansen, PhD student on COST short term mission from NERI Roskilde
1997:  Ole Højberg, Postdoc from KVL Copenhagen (in collaboration with D. Haas)
           Salme Timmusk, PhD student from SLU Uppsala