Celebrating 10 years of mycology at the Institut Pasteur

This year marked a major milestone for the Institut Pasteur's Mycology Department: its 10th anniversary! Since its launch in November 2014, the department has brought together leading scientists dedicated to understanding yeasts and filamentous fungi responsible for human fungal infections — a growing public health threat worldwide. As one of the very few research departments in the world devoted exclusively to medical mycology (if not the only one), it stands as a truly unique hub of expertise.

Fungal diseases remain a serious but often overlooked global health problem, causing around 1.5 million deaths each year, more than malaria or tuberculosis, for instance, mainly due to the delayed diagnosis and limited antifungal treatment options. The department studies major invasive fungal pathogens —including Cryptococcus spp., Candida spp., Aspergillus spp., dermatophytes, and mucorales, —and investigates critical topics such as their epidemiology and genetic diversity, drug resistance mechanisms, virulence traits including biofilms and extracellular vesicles, fungal cell wall biology, and host immune response, all with the goal of improving diagnostics and treatment.

This work is driven by five dynamic research units:
•   Fungal Biology and Pathogenicity Unit, led by Christophe d’Enfert,
•   RNA Biology of Fungal Pathogens Unit, led by Guilhem Janbon,
•   Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics Unit, led by Eugene Gladyshev,
•   Immunology of Fungal Infections Unit, led by Jessica Quintin,
•   Fungal Heterogeneity Unit, led by Iuliana Ene. 

Alongside the French National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, led by Fanny Lanternier, these units provide critical expertise and coordinate national surveillance through a network of clinicians and mycologists across France. Over the past decade, the Mycology Department has gained international recognition for its multidisciplinary research, bridging fundamental science and clinical applications to improve the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of fungal infections.

The Mycology Department at its 10-year anniversary

To celebrate this decade, the department hosted a special two-day symposium at the Institut Pasteur on June 23 and 24, bringing together its five research units and the French National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals. This anniversary welcomed not only the department’s scientists but also international guests and alumni from leading institutions:

•    Françoise Botterel (French Society of Medical Mycology)
•    Petra Bacher (Kiel University)
•    Benoit Briard (Tours University)
•    Gordon Brown (Exeter University)
•    Jerome Govin (IAB Grenoble)
•    Anne Puel (Institut Imagine)
•    Jeanne Ropars (Paris-Saclay University)
•    Eveline Snelders (Wageningen University)
•    Allon Weiner (Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (Cimi))

Their presentations and discussions made this anniversary a truly inspiring and forward-looking event for the mycology and infectious disease communities. We were also honored to share this moment with Yasmine Belkaid, the Institut Pasteur President. This anniversary was a meaningful moment to highlight our collective progress and reinforce our ties for the future.

The event was organized by a dedicated committee, including (from left to right):
Iuliana Ene (PI), Jessica Quintin (PI & deputy director of the department), Alicia Corbellini Piffer (post-doc), Guilhem Janbon (PI & director of the department), Laura Rivas Arenas (PhD student), Cécile Gautier (technician), Sarah Wong (researcher), and Cassandre Deculty (PhD student).

As the department looks to the next decade, the teams remain committed to advancing knowledge and solutions to fight fungal infections and to strengthening the bridge between fundamental research and public health impact.

Happy 10th Anniversary to the Mycology Department: here’s to many more years of fungal discovery and collaboration!

 

Department members and guests celebrating the anniversary together