November 08, 2024
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
Report on the highlights of the 2024 Pasteur Network Annual Meeting, held in Rio from October 20 to 23
• PNAM 2024: A unique gathering in South America, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Pasteur Network Annual Meeting 2024 (PNAM 2024) took place this year for the first time in the Americas, with Fiocruz as a co-organizer.
The opening ceremony, chaired by Mario Moreira, President of Fiocruz, featured remarks from Nisia Veronica Trindade Lima, Minister of Health of Brazil, Amadou Sall, President of the Pasteur Network & CEO of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Rebecca Grais, Executive Director of the Pasteur Network, and Yasmine Belkaid, Vice-President of the Pasteur Network and President of the Institut Pasteur. Keynote presentations were delivered by global health leaders, including Peter Piot, Professor at The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Chair of the PN Strategic Advisory Board, and Manoel Barral Netto from Fiocruz Bahia, who shared their insights on critical global health issues.
Access the video of the opening ceremony
• Unite Global Efforts to Accelerate mRNA Vaccine Research through Strategic Memorandum of Understanding
Key members of the Pasteur Network, including Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, the Institut Pasteur Korea, the Institut Pasteur, and the Institut Pasteur de Tunis, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in vaccine research and development, part of one of the strategic pillars of the Pasteur Network. This partnership focuses on expanding mRNA vaccine production capabilities and addressing global health challenges through innovative research and international cooperation.
Under this initiative, three key Pasteur Network members —Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Fiocruz through its unit Bio-Manguinhos, and Institut Pasteur de Dakar—have been selected as partners for mRNA technology, enabling them to enhance local capacities in mRNA vaccine production. The mRNA technology hub will serve as a key platform for the dissemination and implementation of these advanced methods, creating a robust ecosystem for innovation and public health improvement.
Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK), with its expertise in stabilizing mRNA molecules and reducing production costs, will contribute a unique technology platform that supports the development of efficient and cost-effective vaccines. The Institut Pasteur (located in Paris, France) will provide its renowned research expertise and advanced technology platforms to support the initiative.
Bio-Manguinhos was selected by the World Health Organization as a center for development and production of vaccines with messenger RNA technology in Latin America.
• Claire Sangba-Kembi-Ngounou, winner of the Talent Award 2024
At the opening ceremony of the Pasteur Network Annual Meeting, on October 21, 2024 in Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Claire Sangba-Kembi-Ngounou, entomologist at the Institut Pasteur in Bangui (Central African Republic), receives the Talent Award. This distinction, funded since 2017 by Institut Pasteur, highlights young Pasteur Network researchers who have demonstrated scientific potential. For the first time, the award is in the Science & Communication category, recognizing researchers’ ability to disseminate their work to the general public.
Researcher in the field of entomology, Claire Sangba-Kembi-Ngounou plays a key role in the fight against malaria by studying the behavior of mosquitoes, particularly the Anopheles species, major vectors of the disease. Her work focuses on analyzing the genetic diversity and adaptability of malaria vectors, with direct implications for disease control in the Central African Republic. By understanding the genetic basis of mosquito behavior and resistance, her research contributes to the development of more effective vector control strategies. This could reduce malaria transmission rates and improve public health outcomes. Her findings have been published in leading scientific journals such as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
In addition to her scientific activities, Dr. Sangba-Kembi is heavily involved in disseminating these results to all levels of society, earning her a dedicated article in the newspaper Le Monde, in the series “En Afrique, la science au féminin”. She has regular exchanges with the Ministry of Health of the Central African Republic on the development of policies to limit malaria transmission. She will use part of the funding from this prize to organize an awareness-raising campaign in schools on changes in mosquito-biting behavior and their implications for the fight against malaria.
This 8th edition of the Talent Award is the first to reward a scientist who not only demonstrates a strong scientific commitment, but also an outstanding ability to communicate his or her research to a wider audience.
