Pasteurdon
"Three questions to...": interview with Institut Pasteur staff involved in Pasteurdon
In the run-up to Pasteurdon and the Open Day held on October 8, the newsletter team is continuing its series of profiles! Find out more about two Institut Pasteur employees, one involved in Pasteurdon for many years and one taking part in his first edition this year, who are passionate about sharing science with the public and serving the community.
What is your role at the Institut Pasteur – what does it involve?
After initial biology studies (an advanced technical diploma in biochemistry and professional Bachelor's in biotechnology), I was recruited by Inserm and assigned to a joint Institut Pasteur/Inserm unit in 1998. From that point on I never left this wonderfully vibrant community, pursuing my entire career within the Department of Immunology. I am currently a research engineer and laboratory manager in the Dynamics of Immune Responses Unit led by Philippe Bousso. I have two main roles in the laboratory.
The first is designing and producing the molecular and cellular tools needed for the work of the laboratory, which focuses on antitumor immune responses (proteins and fluorescent probes, genetically modified cells and mice).
The second is organizing the lab and making sure it runs smoothly: overseeing supplies, logistics, supervision and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Fabrice Lemaître
I am a PhD student in immunology and I work on CAR T-cells, a type of immune cell used in immunotherapy. I study their cytostatic effects in blood tumors, in other words their ability to block the proliferation of cancer cells without necessarily killing them.
In practice, I design and carry out experiments, analyze the results and consider them in the context of existing scientific knowledge, under the supervision of Philippe Bousso who guides my day-to-day work.
What I particularly love about my work is the balance between scientific rigor and creativity to devise novel experiments.
Baptiste Arnaud
What does Pasteurdon mean to you?
ince I joined the Institut Pasteur, I have always made a point of participating regularly in campus life alongside my work. It's a way of getting to know new faces and familiarizing myself with different perspectives and realities, which contribute to our way of doing science. And above all, I have regularly volunteered to be involved in the launch events for Pasteurdon – filming clips for the media campaigns, flash mobs, batucada groups, public workshops – with colleagues and friends driven by the same Pasteurian spirit who love spending time together.
Every time, I have felt a real kindred spirit with the other people involved, whether staff or external participants, as well as incredible energy created by the fact of coming together to achieve the same goal: making the Institut Pasteur and its research visible to the general public, whose generous donations make our work possible every day.
Over time, it has even become an integral part of my work, and I never think twice about saying yes when a new opportunity arises to join a new Pasteurdon adventure and contribute to this wonderful cause.
Fabrice Lemaître
Pasteurdon is a unique moment that links the research on our campus with the general public. It reminds us all that scientific progress also depends on collective support and that it's important to share it.
This is my first contribution – it's a great opportunity to get out of the lab and make research accessible. I'm really looking forward to being in direct contact with the public.
Baptiste Arnaud
You volunteered to lead workshops at the Open Day on October 8 for Pasteurdon. Can you tell us a bit more?
Open Days were held in 2016 and 2019 for Pasteurdon, and I had the opportunity to prepare and lead a workshop for the public on extracting and visualizing DNA molecules from pieces of banana. With around a dozen other volunteers, we guided children and their parents through a very brief experiment lasting around ten minutes that gave them the chance to see and manipulate a DNA filament cluster. It was great fun and everyone enjoyed it. Even though it was exhausting, we all have great memories of that experience, so I was delighted to accept the chance to organize another similar workshop for this year's Open Day.
I recruited around 15 long-standing and more recent colleagues to lead the workshop, which I hope will be an opportunity for children and other visitors to have a great time learning about science. If anyone is interested in joining the team of workshop leaders, you would be more than welcome – feel free to contact us.
Fabrice Lemaître
The value of research lies in its impact: improving health, advancing society and changing our view of the world. So it goes without saying that sharing knowledge is part of what it means to be a scientist. As PhD students, halfway between students and researchers, we have a special link with the public which merits us taking our commitment that bit further. And quite honestly, it is a real pleasure to see people's faces light up when they suddenly grasp a scientific concept. Personally, I am developing my commitment to sharing science within the outreach section of the StaPa, with the media platform "Ordres de Grandeur," which I co-founded, and also this year with Pasteurdon.
We are going to help lead a workshop on extracting DNA from a banana, organized and coordinated by Fabrice Lemaitre. He suggested this simple yet spectacular experiment which gives people an opportunity to see DNA, a molecule that is often talked about but rarely seen, with the naked eye.
I'm really looking forward to it – firstly because I admire the scientific and educational skills of those helping lead the workshop, and also because it's a wonderful opportunity to share the scientific method, connect with the public and shine a light on the Institut Pasteur and those who work there.
Baptiste Arnaud