Interview with the leaders of priority area 1 "Infectious disease threats"

In the lead-up to the Town Hall meeting due to take place on June 30, the senior management team and the Department of Communications and Public Affairs wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to the scientists responsible for the scientific priorities identified in the Strategic Plan, so you can find out more about their roles, the challenges entailed by their priority areas, key projects and also upcoming events.
 

Interview with the leaders of Scientific Priority 1 – "Infectious disease threats":
Aude Bernheim, Head of the Molecular Diversity of Microbes Unit,
and Olivier Schwartz, Head of the Virus and Immunity Unit.
 

► Can you tell us about the scientific priority that has been assigned to you as part of the Pasteur 2030 Strategic Plan?

The persistent threat of new emerging diseases, our vulnerability to infectious diseases and the exponential rise in antimicrobial resistance represent major challenges for our society. In this multi-risk context, our aim is to identify, understand and monitor the pathogens responsible for diseases, while contributing to the development of innovative treatments and vaccines capable of curbing them.

One of the key strengths that we can draw on for Priority 1 is the extensive expertise developed by the Institut Pasteur in the field of infectious disease threats over the past 140 years. For many decades now, the Institut Pasteur has been engaged in developing research on a wide variety of pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi) and their interactions with hosts. So the strategic priority that we are coordinating is closely related to the themes, projects and research that have driven the Institut Pasteur ever since it was founded, right up to the present day and the Strategic Plans that preceded Pasteur 2030. One example of this is antibiotic resistance. It is important for us not to get in the way of this research, which has been working effectively for many years, but rather to do what we can to facilitate, support and develop it. At a rough guess, at least 80% of the research on campus is related to the priority area "Infectious disease threats."

As well as making use of this existing research, another challenge for Priority 1 is to stimulate scientific creativity so that we can shed new light on the microbial world, much of which remains relatively unknown, with the aim of improving our understanding and harnessing its resources. Our image of microbes has changed beyond recognition since the time of Louis Pasteur. We now know that microbes are an integral part of the living world and that they have extraordinary potential for our health (the role of the microbiota, the therapeutic function of microbes, etc.). Today, we know that the vast majority of living beings on the planet, including microbes, have not yet been characterized and studied. This invisible world, which as yet largely remains a mystery for us, represents a major source of potential discoveries and research. 

► How does the Institut Pasteur stand out from other institutions when it comes to addressing health issues related to the diversity of the microbial world?

Ever since it was founded, the Institut Pasteur has been an internationally recognized leader in research on microbiology and infectious diseases. In France and abroad, scientists see our campus as a historical center of expertise, a leading hub for scientific discovery and research on these topics. The Institut Pasteur’s excellence in the field is clearly visible through publications and at scientific conferences.

With its lengthy experience in infectious disease research, the Institut Pasteur has a solid reputation as a key player. It combines knowledge in microbiology, virology, immunology, evolution, parasitology, genetics, genomics and epidemiology to obtain a broad yet precise picture of infectious diseases.

What makes us different is our emphasis on basic research: helping to map the infinite abundance of the microbiological world, understanding its complex mechanisms, and elucidating their impact on disease and human health. Because we combine expertise in a wide variety of areas within the field of microbiology, we can also compare different perspectives to deepen and improve our understanding of microbes. 

In light of the new threats facing us, the Institut Pasteur's goal is to continue to adapt and remain innovative and responsive, while harnessing its historical expertise and the excellence of its scientists. 

► How is your work organized?

As leaders of Scientific Priority 1, our aim is to present scientific discoveries in an enthusiastic and positive way to the campus and the general public.
As well as our ongoing research on infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance, our idea is to help people understand that microbes are simply amazing! We want to present microbes as potential solutions to infectious disease threats. By improving our understanding of the living world in all its diversity (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.), we can identify solutions – future antibiotics and antivirals, for example – to respond to these threats. The Institut Pasteur also has extensive collections of microbes that we can explore using new techniques. A world of infinite possibilities is just waiting to be discovered – it's hugely exciting!
One way that we can discover this new world involves developing novel technologies that draw on artificial intelligence (AI). The idea is to develop new working methods made possible by these emerging technologies, whether by analyzing data produced on campus or incorporating new approaches in laboratories. We will need to be innovative and come up with new forms of interdisciplinary collaboration involving mathematicians, scientists and engineers specializing in artificial intelligence and with an interest in human health. We want to work closely with existing initiatives on campus to explore the potential of these technologies for research into infectious diseases. 

The final aspect of our strategic priority that we want to promote is scientific outreach to the general public and the Institut Pasteur community – informing people about both the negative aspects and the positive and lesser-known aspects of microbes. Our aim is to create links with members of the public through various events combining science, art and society, such as lectures, exhibitions, art and science projects, citizen science programs, etc. We recently took part in the "Nuit Blanche" event on campus and saw in person just how enthusiastic and curious the visitors were. Both of us are also involved in the scientific outreach committee that has been set up to help prepare for the future Institut Pasteur museum, where microbes will be given pride of place!

In short, the keyword for our priority is "creativity"!

We will be establishing a steering committee to supervise the operational and financial aspects of Priority 1. 
And to keep our minds firmly focused on outreach and creativity, we have also launched a call for contributions to all unit and group heads at the Institut Pasteur, to give them the opportunity to contribute their ideas and expertise to the various projects under this priority. Early career scientists can also get involved in the priority and propose projects that we can support. The selection criteria will be based on the originality and interdisciplinarity of the proposals and their use of multiple technologies.

► Will you be involved in cross-cutting projects? If so, which ones?

On campus, we already have and will continue to develop links with the other priorities in the Pasteur 2030 Strategic Plan, and of course with the department directors. Aude is a member of the steering committee for Priority 3 – "Origins of diseases," and we have regular discussions with the leaders of Priority 2 – "Environmental transition & health." We are working particularly closely with the project team of the future center for emerging infectious diseases, especially vector-borne diseases, as this is a flagship project that will position the Institut Pasteur as a leading player in research in this field. Being involved with such a large-scale project, which will come to completion over the course of Pasteur 2030, is very exciting! We also naturally have links with the Center for Vaccinology and Immunology, and we intend to strengthen these links.

Within the priority that we are coordinating, we are working with Paola Arimondo and Philippe Glaser, who led the previous strategic priority "Antimicrobial resistance," so that we can continue their work. 

We are also pursuing collaborative projects with external partners. One example of national collaboration is the development of closer links between the Institut Pasteur, the Institut Curie and the Imagine Institute, an important move that recognizes the complementary nature of our scientific research. With the Institut Pasteur’s longstanding expertise in infectious diseases, the Imagine Institute’s expertise in human genetics and the Institut Curie’s expertise in understanding and treating cancer, we have the capability to develop multi-scale collaboration.

At European level, the Institut Pasteur has established a partnership with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), which will provide the Institut Pasteur with broad and specialist technological expertise in infectious disease research.

There are also links with UCSF in San Francisco, with scientific exchange programs, sabbaticals, joint projects and the upcoming creation of a Pasteur International Unit with UCSF on infectious diseases.

► What is your goal for 2030 as leader of a scientific priority? What results do you intend to achieve?

Our aim is to support and strengthen the vibrant, dynamic scientific atmosphere on campus, to cultivate this energy and encourage our scientists to "have fun" scientifically and explore new fields. In these turbulent times, we want to send out a positive message. 

We will have achieved our aim in 2030 if new scientific projects have emerged around this priority, and if we have seen new scientific discoveries with applications for human health. We also hope to share our knowledge through art and culture and facilitate outreach and dialog with the public.