I am particularly fascinated by the genomic consequences of dramatic phenotypic evolution. During my PhD thesis, I linked life-history strategies of mammals to genomic evolution metrics, such as GC% or dN/dS. These relationships helped to better understand molecular evolution processes (birth of genomic landscapes, biased genetic conversion and efficiency of natural selection), but also to shed new light on the evolution of mammals (ancestral longevity estimations of our ancestors, rooting of the placental mammal phylogeny).
Following this attempt to link genome evolution and species biology, I worked during my first post-doc on the determinants of genetic diversity disparities among animals. Analysing hundreds of transcriptomes in 71 non-model metazoan species, I showed that intraspecific polymorphism of a given species can be predicted by its biology.
Current research project
In my current post-doctoral projects in Lausanne, I try to uncover genomic causes and consequences linked to the remarkable longevity of ants. For this, I plan to produce and analyze the full transcriptome of both queens (long-lived caste) and workers (short-lived caste) in ca. 40 ant species of contrasting average lifespans (e.g. 30 years for Lasius niger vs less than one year for Monomorium pharaonis).This will provide valuable resources to understand how natural selection can lead to high longevity, to evaluate the role of gene expression on lifespan variations and to identify new candidate genes involved in aging.
Curriculum vitae
2014-
PostDoc, Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne
Title : Exploring the genetic causes of the exceptional longevity of ants through transcriptomic data and genome-wide scans of natural selection.
Advisor : Laurent Keller
Funding : Long-term FEBS fellowship granted to Jonathan Romiguier
2013
PostDoc, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier, University of Montpellier 2
Title : The determinants of genetic diversity : analysis of genome-wide polymorphism in 71 non-model metazoan species.
Advisor : Nicolas Galtier
Funding : ERC 232971 “PopPhyl" granted to Nicolas Galtier
2009-2012
PhD Thesis, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier, University of Montpellier 2
Title : Phylogenomic and life-history strategies of placental mammals: insights from the biased gene conversion theory
Supervisors : Nicolas Galtier and Vincent Ranwez
2009
MS research, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier, University of Montpellier 2
Title : Phylogeny of mammals and biased gene conversion
Supervisors : Nicolas Galtier, Vincent Ranwez and Emmanuel Douzery
2008
MS research – Centre de Biologie et de Gestion des Populations, Montpellier
Title : Phylogeography of Apodemus sylvaticus
Supervisor : Johan Michaux