Pasteurdon
A 360-degree campaign for the 20th anniversary of Pasteurdon
For this 20th edition, Pasteurdon once again enjoyed the generous support of its many media partners. Support for Pasteurdon took multiple forms this year, with both long-standing partners and new supporters showing their commitment on TV and radio, in Ambassador Cities, online and in the print press, in local fundraising events, in cinemas and on social media. All our partners were committed to boosting visibility for the campaign and raising awareness of the need for donations, whether through interviews about the Institut Pasteur, its research and the challenges of funding or through more local, targeted events bringing people together in aid of research.
Press conference and conference
• Speaking up for the Institut Pasteur's science
During the four-day campaign, the partner channels used their programs to spread the word about Pasteurdon and also invited representatives of the Institut Pasteur's research to speak about their work in person. See the appearances by the management team and several Institut Pasteur representatives in the media for Pasteurdon.
o Pasteurdon press conference
Around twenty journalists came to the campus to hear Yasmine Belkaid reflect on the 20 years of discoveries made possible by the Pasteurdon and the major, far-reaching projects currently underway. The President of Institut Pasteur was joined by three scientists representing the themes of Pasteurdon 2026: Arnaud Fontanet, who spoke about epidemic preparedness; Aurélie Chiche, on postpartum breast cancer; and Pierre-Marie Lledo, on the link between the microbiome and the brain. The journalists followed this discussion with a tour of the Perception and Action Unit, attended by numerous members of the laboratory.
o Key media coverage with a significant impact on Pasteurdon 2026
TV– 9 shoots on campus, 1 studio set
(listed in chronological order)
Upcoming:
- France 2 – Le Mag de la santé, broadcast date to be confirmed: a feature on Involve with a volunteer, the biobank and the CNR respiratory viruses
- TF1 - TFou d’info – to be broadcast in November, a 6-minute feature on Pasteurday
Radios
(listed in chronological order)
“At the end of the programme, we take a look at Pasteurdon, the Institut Pasteur’s annual fundraising campaign, which begins tomorrow and runs until October 11 2026.”
France Inter – Grand Bien vous fasse - Thursday October 8, 10am – Christophe d’Enfert on mushrooms
“A programme focusing on mushrooms to mark the launch of the 20th edition of Pasteurdon. A deep dive into the little-known world of mushrooms. In partnership with the new special edition of ‘1 XL’.”
France Inter – Friday October 9, 7.50am – Yasmine Belkaid in the studio France is not investing “enough” in research, says the President of the Institut Pasteur | Image  | |
RTL – Friday October 9, 6.30pm – Yasmine Belkaid in the studio Yasmine Belkaid, President of the Institut Pasteur: “We are in the golden age of medicine” | Image  |
Other radio features:
- Chérie FM – interview with Jean-Michel Molina, Medical Director of the Institut Pasteur, on HIV
- RTL – interview with Jean-Michel Molina, Medical Director of the Institut Pasteur, and Asier Saez-Cirion, Head of the Viral Reservoirs and Immune Control Unit, on HIV
- France Inter – feature on the October 10 morning show about the Smellpark project, exploring the link between the nasal microbiota and Parkinson’s disease, with interviews with Françoise Lazarini and Pierre-Marie Lledo (Perception and Action Unit)
Print and online media
- Le Parisien :
- Kyan Khojandi is the new patron of Pasteurdon for medical research: “I don’t save lives, but…”
- 20 Minutes, online edition of October 11 - Alzheimer, Parkinson, depression… Does the microbiome play a role in brain diseases?
- Pourquoi Docteur, online edition of October 11 - Dementia, mental health: what is the link with the microbiome?
• Developing and strengthening "the link"
Following on from the Pasteurdon short films which were shown throughout the weekend, the campaign film Le lien ("The Link"), directed by Valentin Guiod and shot on the Institut Pasteur campus (see the May 22 issue of the newsletter), was launched on both traditional TV channels (TF1, France2, France3, France5, RMC Life, RMC Découverte, RMC Story, TMC, TF1 Séries Films, LCI, BFMTV and CNews) and on-demand platforms (including M6+, Prime Video, YouTube, Pluto TV and Molotov TV) on October 12, where it will stay for one or two weeks, in various formats (20 seconds, 30 seconds, 45 seconds and 1 minute 38 seconds).
See the long version of the film Le lien
See the short version of the film Le lien
Pasteurdon in movie theaters
From October 14 to October 20, the 20-second Pasteurdon TV spot will be shown on a total of 1,856 screens in 280 cinemas across France. This outstanding show of support has been offered free of charge by cinemas in the following chains: Cinéma Pathé, CGR cinémas, MK2, Kinepolis, Megarama and Cinéville.
Ambassador Cities
For the 20th edition of Pasteurdon, more than 20 cities joined the Institut Pasteur's "Ambassador Cities" program. This countrywide mobilization played a key part in spreading the Pasteurdon message to local communities across France. A variety of methods were used by the cities in the program, including display boards, banners on municipal websites, local newsletters, sports events and collection buckets, to raise awareness and funds for medical research.
See the video by Emmanuel Grégoire, Mayor of Paris (in French)
Social media
Several videos featuring key figures associated with Pasteurdon – the previous patron, ambassador/journalist, and presenters from partner TV channels and radio stations – were shared on social media. See a few selected highlights here:
Video by Alexandra Lamy, 2026 Pasteurdon Ambassador and patron for 11 years (in French)
The campaign was also widely circulated on social media, with strong support via the accounts of partner channels and presenters. #pasteurdon was used more than 600 times across all social media networks thanks to the community formed by the Institut Pasteur and its media partners and sponsors (there were more than 5 million views for Pasteurdon videos on TikTok and more than 3 million on Instagram).
Lots of you also promoted Pasteurdon on LinkedIn! A big thank you to all of you for your energy and collective efforts!
Here are some examples of posts from Institut Pasteur staff that particularly resonated with their respective communities:
Yasmine Belkaid, Institut Pasteur President (in French)
Antoine Bogaerts, Director of Philanthropy (in French)
Asier Sáez-Cirión, Head of the Viral Reservoirs and Immune Control five-year unit (in French)
Clémentine Schilte, Head of the Digital Education Office (in French)
Henri Pitron, Vice-President Communications and Public Affairs (in French)
Mariana Mesel-Lemoine, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (in French)
Sarah Dellière, scientist in the Immunology of Fungal Infections Unit (in French)
Sylvain Soucaze, Recruitment Officer in the Recruitment-Mobility Division (in French)
Now that the 20th edition has been officially launched, the campaign continues! Whatever your role at the Institut Pasteur, you can continue posting on social media. Take a look at the practical guide below for a host of tips, ideas and examples tailored to people in different roles to help you write your posts.
A dedicated page (in French) has been created on ePasteur to guide you in how to promote the Institut Pasteur on your accounts.
Whether as a supporter or an ambassador, support the 20th anniversary of Pasteurdon on social media!
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the Web and Social Media Department at socialmedia@pasteur.fr
Together, let's show how research can have a real impact on people's lives, health and well-being!