•    How food influences the microbiota

On September 18, in the run-up to the latest edition of Pasteurdon, the Institut Pasteur opened its campus on rue du Docteur Roux for a tour organized exclusively for journalists.

Around 15 journalists from press agencies, the national daily press, regional press outlets, magazines, the medical press and radio stations came along to meet Benoit Chassaing and visit the Microbiome-Host Interactions laboratory.

One of the focuses of this year's Pasteurdon is the rising cancer rate in people of all ages. The gut microbiota, a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that live in the gut, plays a key role in health. An imbalance in the microbiota, often linked to dietary factors, can encourage inflammation and the production of toxic substances, increasing the risk of developing certain types of cancer. The research by Benoit Chassaing and his team focuses in particular on colorectal cancer, which has risen sharply among young people (a rise of 1.43% per year in France among those aged 15-39). This cancer can be promoted by certain gut bacteria that cause DNA mutations, encouraging the emergence of cancer cells, and by chronic inflammation caused by certain bacteria in the microbiota.

Gérard Eberl, Head of the Microenvironment and Immunity Unit and leader of the strategic priority "Origins of diseases,” and Henri Pitron, Vice-President Communications and Public Affairs, were also there to introduce the event.

The journalists showed great interest in what they learned during the tour, and they have already begun reporting on the research and emphasizing the importance of Pasteurdon, with a number of articles and reports broadcast in the lead-up to the campaign launch on October 8.

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•    Check out the press kit

Each year, the Pasteurdon press kit provides journalists with a handy document full of detailed information about the upcoming campaign. It gives the media community a more detailed picture of the role of research in responding to health challenges and highlights the Institut Pasteur’s scientific research, which reflects its wider long-standing commitments and priorities. The press kit is also an opportunity to reiterate the importance of funding for research and the need for donations.

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This year's kit includes an editorial by Yasmine Belkaid, testimonials from the Pasteurdon patrons, and a behind-the-scenes look at this year's film shoots and recordings with our media partners.

It also highlights the three scientific topics that are the focus of this year's Pasteurdon, illustrating the diversity of research carried out by the Institut Pasteur's scientists to tackle public health challenges:

• The rise in cancer rates for people of all ages
  - Tackling aggressive brain tumors (Sandrine Etienne-Manneville)
  - Exploring the microbiota to improve understanding and prevention of colorectal cancer (Benoit Chassaing)
   
• The spread of new microbes, encouraged by climate change, environmental disruptions and resistance to treatment
  - How pesticides encourage the emergence of resistance to treatment for fungal infections (Sarah Dellière)
  - Phage therapy: a century-old weapon to tackle bacterial resistance (Aude Bernheim and Laurent Debarbieux) 
  - Viruses extending their geographical range under the impact of climate change (Anna-Bella Failloux)
   
• Studying past and present epidemics to prepare for future outbreaks
  - Avian influenza, the next global threat? (Marie-Anne Rameix-Welti)
  - COVID-19, Zika, chikungunya, Ebola, plague... how do mathematical models inform health decisions? (Simon Cauchemez)
   

Check out the press kit (in French)