Tributes to Pierre Tiollais: A biography in the Journal of Virology and a unique conference coming up on June 12 – save the date

On August 5, 2024, the Institut Pasteur was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Pierre Tiollais, an emblematic figure at the Institut Pasteur and a pioneer of genetic engineering in France, whose research on viral antigens led to the development of the recombinant vaccine for hepatitis B.

Pierre Tiollais had a passion and curiosity for his work; he was greatly appreciated by his colleagues and was an outstanding mentor for many scientists (see the newsletter from September 6, 2024)

The year 2025 will be one of tribute to a unique scientist. Read on to find out more about the ideas of several of Pierre Tiollais' colleagues to honor his memory.

A tribute in the Journal of Virology

 

In February, the friends and former colleagues of Pierre Tiollais decided to pay tribute to him with an article in his memory in the Journal of Virology, published by the American Society for Microbiology.

The article looks back at the life and career of Pierre Tiollais, creator of the first recombinant vaccine for hepatitis B, who began his medical studies in Rennes before turning to biology and especially biochemistry, a field in which he would become a leading figure for the rest of his life.

His curiosity and desire to apply basic research to public health issues led him to take an interest in the hepatitis B virus (HBV), the genome of which was still unknown at that time. After building the first Biosafety Level 3 laboratory in France at the Institut Pasteur, Pierre Tiollais and Francis Galibert, a geneticist at Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris, published the whole genome of HBV for the first time in 1979. This was followed by the development of a recombinant vaccine for hepatitis B, which enabled large-scale vaccination campaigns in endemic regions across the globe, saving countless lives.

Pierre Tiollais was known for his sense of community and his moral commitment to sharing scientific breakthroughs. He was one of the first organizers of the International HBV Meeting, held every year – the next edition will take place from September 8 to 12 in Berlin.

Pierre Tiollais' laboratory was an incubator for several leading lights in French science, to such an extent that it became known as the "Tiollais school."

Find out more, read the tribute article to Pierre Tiollais

A symposium to honor the memory of Pierre Tiollais on June 12
 

 

A symposium will be held on the morning of June 12 in the Émile Duclaux lecture hall as part of the ongoing tributes to Pierre Tiollais.

Further information about the program and the speakers will be published in a future issue of the newsletter.

 

Photo: CHO cells (chinese hamster ovary cells) genetically modified. The gene encoding the HBs surface protein has been inserted into their genetic make-up. This protein, produced in the culture medium, will be used to manufacture the GenHevac B hepatitis B vaccine. Credit: © Institut Pasteur/Pierre Tiollais