Laurent Keller
Professeur Ordinaire

Books

The Lives of Ants. In press. L. Keller & E. Gordon, Oxford University Press
La vie des Fourmis. 2006. L. Keller & E. Gordon, Odile Jacob, Paris, 303 pp. Amazon.fr

Edited Books

Levels of Selection in Evolution. 1999. L. Keller (ed.), Princeton University Press, Princeton, 318 pp.
Queen Number and Sociality in Insects. 1993. L. Keller (ed.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, 439 pp.

Research articles

Schwander, T. & Keller, L. In press. Genetic compatibility affects queen and worker caste determination. Science.
Floreano, D., Mitri, S., Magnenat, S. & Keller, L. 2007. Evolutionary conditions for the emergence of communication in robots. Current Biology, 17, 514-519.
Keller, L. 2007. Uncovering the biodiversity of genetic and reproductive systems. Time for a more open approach. American Society of Naturalists E. O. Wilson Award Winner Address. American Naturalist, 169, 1-9.
Fournier, D., Estoup, A., Orivel, J., Foucaud, J., Jourdan, H., Le Breton, J. & Keller, L. 2005. Clonal reproduction by males and females in the little fire ant.Nature, 435, 1230-1234
Hammond, R. L. & Keller, L. 2004. Conflict over male parentage in social insects. PLoS Biology, 2(9): e248, 1472-1482.
Langer, P., Hogendoorn, K. & Keller, L. 2004. Tug-of-war over reproduction in a social bee. Nature, 428, 844-847.
Pearcy, M., Aron, S., Doums, C. & Keller, L. 2004. Conditional use of sex and parthenogenesis for workers and queen production in ants. Science, 306, 1780-1783.
Parker, J. D, Parker, K. M., Sohal, B. H. Sohal, R. S. & Keller, L. 2004. Decreased expression of Cu-Zn Superoxide Dismutase 1 in ants with extreme lifespan. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 101, 3486-3489.
Helms Cahan, S & Keller, L. 2003. Complex hybrid origin of genetic caste determination in harvester ants. Nature, 424, 306-309.
Molbo, D., Machado, C. A., Sevenster, J. G., Keller, L. & Herre, E. A. 2003. Cryptic species of fig pollinating wasps: implications for the fig-wasp mutualism, sex allocation, and precision of adaptation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 10, 5867-5872.
Giraud, T., Pedersen, J. S. & Keller, L. 2002. Evolution of supercolonies: The Argentine ants of Southern Europe. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 99, 6075-6079.
Passera, L., Aron, S., Vargo, E. L. & Keller, L. 2001. Queen control of sex ratio in fire ants. Science, 293, 1308-1310.
Johnstone R. A. & Keller, L. 2000. How males can gain by harming their mates: sexual conflict, seminal toxins and the cost of mating. American Naturalist, 156, 368-377.
Krieger, M. J. B., Billeter, J.-B., Keller, L. 2000. Ant-like task allocation and recruitment in co-operative robots. Nature, 406, 992-995.
Keller, L. & Ross, K. G. 1998. Selfish genes: a green beard in the red fire ant. Nature, 394, 573-575.
Ross K. G. & Keller L. 1998. Genetic control of social organization in an ant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 95, 14232-14237.
Keller, L. & Genoud, M. 1997. Extraordinary lifespans in ants: a test of evolutionary theories of ageing. Nature, 389, 958-960.
Passera, L., Roncin, E., Kaufmann, B. & Keller, L. 1996. Increased soldier production in ant colonies exposed to intraspecific competition. Nature, 379, 630-631.
Ross, K. G., Vargo, E. L.& Keller, L. 1996. Social evolution in a new environment: The case of introduced fire ants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 93, 3021-3025.
Sundström, L., Chapuisat, M. & Keller, L. 1996. Manipulation of sex ratios by ant workers: A test of kin selection theory. Science, 274, 993-995.
Keller, L. & Ross, K. G. 1993. Phenotypic basis of reproductive success in a social insect: genetic and social determinants. Science, 260, 1107-1110.

Review articles

Ducrest, A.-L., Keller, L. & Roulin, A. 2008. Pleiotropy in the melanocortin system, coloration and behavioural syndromes. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 23, 502-510
Keller, L. & Surette, M. G. 2006. Communication in bacteria. An ecological and evolutionary perspective. Nature Rewiews Microbiology, 4, 249-258.
Lehmann, L. & Keller, L. 2006. The evolution of cooperation and altruism - a general framework and a classification of models. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 19, 1365-1376
Keller, L. & Chapuisat, M. 2001. Eusociality and cooperation. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences: http://www.els.net, London: Nature Publishing Group.
Reeve, H, K. & Keller, L. 2001. Tests of reproductive-skew models in social insects. Annual Review of Entomology, 46, 347-385.
Heinze, J. & Keller, L. 2000. Alternative reproductive strategies: a queen perspective in ants. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 15, 508-512.
Keller, L. & Chapuisat, M. 1999. Cooperation among selfish individuals in insect colonies. BioScience, 49, 899-909.
Keller, L. 1997. Indiscriminate altruism: Unduly nice parents and siblings. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 12, 99-103.
Keller, L. 1995. Social life: the paradox of multiple-queen colonies. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 355-360.
Ross, K. G. & Keller, L. 1995. Evolution of social organization: insights from fire ants and other highly eusocial insects. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 26, 631-656.
Keller, L. & Reeve, H. K. 1994. Partitioning of reproduction in animal societies. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 9, 98-102.

To apply for a PhD position or a Postdoc or in the lab, the standard procedure is as follows.

1. Send an e-mail to describe your interests and motivation to join our group

2. For a PhD position: send your CV, grades and recommendation letters. For a Postdoc send: send your CV, list of publications and recommendation letters

3. Come and spend a couple of days with us in Lausanne (travel and hotel will be reimbursed) to give a seminar and exchange ideas with lab members

Funding: Members of our groups are funded from different sources, including fellowships from our University, Swiss NSF, Marie Curie, EU network of excellent, EMBO, and various specific grants