Pasteur Network announces the online publication of the report, which covers the 2021-2022 activities. 

This latest report includes a presentation of the network and worldwide highlights of its members, achievements, and community.

Each of the four chapters is dedicated to a Pasteur Network Region: Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific and Euro-Mediterranean with a specific page for each member.

Consult the 2021-2022 report

About the Pasteur Network

The Pasteur Network is a vast human and scientific community with more than 30 members in over 20 countries contributing together to global health. Located in the heart of endemic areas, the Network has privileged access to a large number of pathogens that it monitors and studies on all five continents. This exceptional diversity makes the Pasteur Network a unique global actor in public health, science, innovation, and education, especially in the fight against infectious diseases.

Video presentation

Pasteur Network on Linkedin

The Pasteur Network aims to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing by sponsoring yearly high-level training modules .  Three recent courses hosted by members of the Pasteur Network addressed some of its main action pillars : epidemic intelligence and preparedness,  research, development and innovation,  multi-disciplinary knowledge communities  and equitable collaboration.

A first course focused on “Biology of emerging and Neglected Viral Infections in Latin America” took place from  April 19th to 28th , 2023 at the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo.

The course, organised by Nicolas Sarute (Institut Pasteur de Montevideo), Nolwenn Jouvenet (Institut Pasteur, Paris) and Sandra Cordo (UBA, AUGM, Argentina), brought together researchers and healthcare professionals from all over Latin America. The main objective of the course was to foster a multidisciplinary exchange on key aspects of the biology of neglected and emerging viruses, with a focus on pathogens with an impact on public health. Topics covered included basic virus research, epidemiology, surveillance, and prevention and control strategies.

This course will bear the name of Professor Otto Pritsch, a recently deceased researcher who played a fundamental role in the consolidation of the agreement signed between the French Cooperation for Latin America, the Association of Universities of the Montevideo Group (AUGM), the Institut Pasteur (Paris) and the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo.

Consult the programme on the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo website

A second course within the context of the SARA (Surveillance of antibiotic resistance in Africa) project, co-financed with FSPi funds of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, was held at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar from May 22nd to 26th, 2023. It was co-coordinated by the group of Sylvain Brisse (Institut Pasteur) and Yakhya Diye (Institut Pasteur de Dakar). This intensive course brought together 21 participants from 9 different African countries. The course focused on the sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of bacterial genomes. It also enabled participants to strengthen their collaborative network and share best practices in antibiotic resistance surveillance.

To find out more about the SARA course: read the article published on Pasteur.fr

Finally, the “Immersion in Innovation and Technology Transfer in Biological Sciences and Public Health” course was held from June 26th to 29th, 2023at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute. Over four days, experts spoke about the importance of technology transfer and innovation in the development and manufacture of innovative medical products.

Consult the programme on the Hellenic Pasteur Institute website

By funding these high-level courses and making them accessible to a wide range of participants, the Pasteur Network aims to foster collective action and knowledge sharing, in emerging infectious diseases, anti-microbial resistance and the promotion of scientific innovation.

More information :

International courses

List of the courses supported by the Pasteur Network

Pasteur Network contact : Kathleen VICTOIR kathleen.victoir@pasteur.fr

Photo: SARA course in May 2023 at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar. Copyright: Sylvain Brisse

Pasteur International Unit Fungal Extracellular Vesicles has been created by the Institut Pasteur, FioCruz – Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Brazil) – two members of the Pasteur Network – and the University of Birmingham (UK). The Pasteur International Joint Research Units are jointly created with two or more research teams, working together within the Pasteur Network.

More information :

About the Pasteur Network

The Pasteur Network is a vast human and scientific community with more than 30 members in over 20 countries contributing together to global health. Located in the heart of endemic areas, the Network has privileged access to a large number of pathogens that it monitors and studies on all five continents. This exceptional diversity makes the Pasteur Network a unique global actor in public health, science, innovation, and education, especially in the fight against infectious diseases.

Pasteur-network.org

On Friday March 31, 2023 at a ceremony in Paris, the Institut Pasteur President, Professor Stewart Cole, and the University of São Paulo (USP) Rector, Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, signed articles of association for the Institut Pasteur in São Paulo, a private non-profit organization under Brazilian law. The mission of the institute, an associate member of the Pasteur Network, is to conduct research in the field of biology that contributes to the development of human health, and to promote outreach, education, innovation and knowledge transfer activities and public health measures.

For more information
Read the press release on the Institut Pasteur’s website: https://www.pasteur.fr/en/press-area/press-documents/institut-pasteur-and-university-sao-paulo-sign-articles-association-establish-institut-pasteur-sao

Photo: Signing ceremony at the Institut Pasteur – © François Gardy – Institut Pasteur

Five members of the Pasteur Network— the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, the Institut Pasteur de Bangui, the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, the Institut Pasteur de la Guyane and the Institut Pasteur—have collaboratively published the results of a study on mosquito ribosomal RNA. In addition to the release of 234 complete ribosomal RNA sequences from 33 mosquito species to public databases, the study presents the bioinformatics methodology used to assemble these sequences. The eLife article also assesses the use of ribosomal RNA as a molecular marker for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies on mosquitoes. These findings will facilitate the discovery and monitoring of viruses in all the mosquito species investigated as well as others.

Monitoring virus circulation with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)

Mosquitoes are known to transmit many pathogenic viruses among humans and animals. Most of these viruses carry genetic information in the form of ribonucleic acid or RNA. By sequencing the RNA found in mosquitoes, a technique known as RNA-seq,

we can identify what viral pathogens are circulating in certain mosquito populations by detecting their RNA genomes. This also allows us to discover potential emerging viral pathogens.

However, the mosquito itself contain plenty of RNA, specifically the RNAs that make up protein-producing machines called ribosomes. This type of RNA is aptly called ribosomal RNA. The hyperabundant presence of ribosomal RNA constitute “background noise”, which can reduce the sensitivity of pathogen detection by masking the sequences of interest, and they need to be removed from the sample. To successfully remove or deplete ribosomal RNA, we need to know its reference sequence.

Using RNA sequencing to detect viruses by their RNA genome consist of several steps. Knowing ribosomal RNA sequences enables Step 3 and 5 for improved detection of viral pathogens in mosquito samples. This image was created using Biorender.com. © Cassandra Koh

However, the lack of reference ribosomal RNA sequences for a large majority of mosquito species makes it difficult to perform RNA-seq in these species. Only a few vector species were listed on public databases—a collection of all known genetic sequences for all living things. This gap leads to a neglect of the transmission cycles perpetuated by other mosquito species endemic to more remote environments, which are responsible for the infection of reservoir animals. To allow for virus discovery and monitoring in a wider range of mosquito species, the team expanded the current collection of reference ribosomal RNA sequences.

Employing the collective expertise of the Pasteur Network members

By bringing together their expertise and resources, scientists from the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, the Institut Pasteur de Bangui, the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, the Institut Pasteur de la Guyane and the Institut Pasteur, all members of the Pasteur Network, have released a large assemblage of ribosomal RNA sequences to public databases. Using a unique bioinformatics method described in the study, the team was able to assemble the complete ribosomal RNA sequences for all their specimens, even in the presence of contaminating biological material. This genomic resource constitutes a set of 234 complete ribosomal RNA sequences of 33 mosquito species.

The implications of this genomic resource

These novel sequences allow for the physical and computational elimination of interfering ribosomal RNA sequence reads, the aforementioned “background noise”, leading to the detection of target viral genomic RNA at increased sensitivity. In addition, ribosomal RNAs can be used for the molecular identification of the mosquito species under study. The accuracy of molecular identification of mosquito species using ribosomal RNA sequences is comparable to that of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene sequence—the gold standard and current reference in molecular taxonomy. The bioinformatics methodology and sequences resulting from this collaboration will thus help to discover and monitor known and potential new pathogens in a large number of insect species by RNA-seq metagenomics.

For more information:
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences from 33 globally distributed mosquito species for improved metagenomics and species identification
eLife, janvier 2023.
Cassandra Koh, Lionel Frangeul, Hervé Blanc, Carine Ngoagouni,Sébastien Boyer, Philippe Dussart, Nina Grau, Romain Girod, Jean-Bernard Duchemin and Maria-Carla Saleh.
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.82762 / https://elifesciences.org/articles/82762

A collaborative work between the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge and the Institut Pasteur du Laos, from the Pasteur Network, with the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (Cirad), demonstrates the future impacts of human-induced climate change on public health, This study highlights the threat of a significant increase of mosquito densities, a potential vector for numerous infectious diseases in South-East Asia. This study, carried out in the framework of the Ecomore 2 project, has been published in Environmental Health Perspective.

Dengue is an emerging infectious disease, transmitted by mosquitoes, that is affecting more and more people worldwide. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, the dengue vectors, are prone to expand due to climate change. Human populations could be increasingly exposed to potential outbreaks. In South-East Asia, where dengue is endemic, data on these mosquitoes were gathered by the entomology units of the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge and the Institut Pasteur du Laos, both members of the Pasteur Network.

Conducted in the framework of Ecomore 2 and other projects, this study relies on data collected by Sébastien Marcombe from the Institut Pasteur du Laos and by Sébastien Boyer at the Institut Pasteur du Camboge, together with other literature data on the occurrence of these two species in South-East Asia. 

Data on presence, seasonality, and dynamics of Ae. aegypti & Ae. albopictus were analyzed regarding land-use, topography, and climate. Two IRD research units led the mathematical modelling and spatial analyses, first to model their distribution over the region and, second, to assess the impact of the prospective climatic scenarios (nine CMIP6 climate models) on their future distribution. The results show that, by the end of this century, Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus densities will respectively increase up to 46% and 25% in South-East Asia due to predicted temperature growths. Moreover, climate mitigation measures are unlikely to significantly moderate this expansion.

The maps resulting from these models are freely accessible on the Ecomore II Climate Platform. Users of the platform can observe the impact of different climate change models and scenarios on the evolution of the distributions of Aedes populations. These results provide further evidence that human-induced climate changes will impact ecosystems and public health.

For more information:
Predicting the Effects of Climate Change on Dengue Vector Densities in Southeast Asia through Process-Based Modeling
Environmental Health Perspective, December 2022.
Lucas Bonnin*, Annelise Tran, Vincent Herbreteau, Sébastien Marcombe, Sébastien Boyer, Morgan Mangeas, and Christophe Menkes.
*Corresponding author.
https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11068
Ecomore website: https://ecomore.org/2023/02/02/the-evolution-of-dengue-vectors-densities-faced-with-climate-change-in-south-east-asia/

Leo Lit Man Poon, from the Hong Kong University (HKU)- Pasteur Research Pole, member of the Pasteur Network, was awarded the Pasteur Network LP200 Prize, a special prize in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Pasteur at a ceremony organized by the Institut Pasteur (Paris) on Thursday, January 26th, 2023. This prize is part of a set of 5 prizes awarded by the Institut Pasteur in the framework of the bicentenary with the support of the Carlsberg Foundation that funded the total Prize amount of € 200,000.

To celebrate the bicentenary of Louis Pasteur’s birth, a series of five prestigious scientific prizes have been created by the Institut Pasteur in 2022. The prizes award for achievements that capture the Pasteur ethos, or “l’esprit Pasteur”, in the fields of biomedical research, public health, or innovation. Among them, one was dedicated to the Pasteur Network: the Pasteur Network LP200 Prize.

The International Jury presided over by Pascale Cossart, Professor at the Institut Pasteur and honorary perpetual secretary of the French Academy of Sciences, with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Françoise Barré-Sinoussi (2008) and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry Emmanuelle Charpentier (2020), chose Leo Lit Man Poon as laureate. He received the prize from Françoise Barré-Sinoussi.

“This award recognizes the essential contributions of Prof. Poon’s to preparedness, research, collaborations, and commitment to the Pasteur Network, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. It Pr. Poon embodies Louis Pasteur’s vision of science without borders”.

Rebecca F Grais, Executive director of the Pasteur Network

Leo Poon is a professor in the School of Public Health of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong as well as co-director of the HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, member of the Pasteur Network. He is a virologist and public health scientist dedicated to studying emerging viruses such as influenza viruses and coronaviruses.

Thus far, he has published about 300 peer-reviewed articles, with an H-index of 93. Since 2005, Leo has been in the Top 1% of most cited scientists and highly cited researcher since 2015. In 2022 Leo was named one of the Top 1,000 scientists by research.com.

Alongside, Leo Poon also serves as an expert in different working groups in international organization, such as the WHO, the WOAH and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), for controlling emerging infectious diseases.

“There are so many great people who work together to combat infectious diseases. It is my honor to work with them to improve public health. Two centuries later, the spirit of Louis Pasteur still contagious”.

Leo Lit Man Poon, co-director of the HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, member of the Pasteur Network

Beside the Pasteur Network Louis Pasteur Bicentenary Prize, this series rewarded one head of senior Institut Pasteur scientist, Arnaud Fontanet, one head of junior Institut Pasteur scientist, Mélanie Hamon, and two alumni of the Institut Pasteur, Bruno Canard and Serge Mostowy, respectively with the Senior Alumni Louis Pasteur Bicentenary  Prize and the Junior Alumni Louis Pasteur Bicentenary   Prize and the Pasteur Alumni Louis Pasteur Bicentenary Prizes.

For more information:
Read the biography of Leo Poon on HKU- Pasteur Research Pole website: https://www.hkupasteur.hku.hk/copy-of-poon-lab
Read the news on HKU – Pasteur Research Pole website: https://www.hkupasteur.hku.hk/post/the-pasteur-network-lp200-prize-awarded-to-leo-poon
Read the news on the Institut Pasteur website: https://www.pasteur.fr/en/research-journal/news/louis-pasteur-bicentenary-prize-five-scientists-rewarded
Listen to the podcast (Nature Biotechnology): https://bioengineeringcommunity.nature.com/posts/podcast-creative-grit-episode-2

In 2 minutes, the first video of the Pasteur Network gives a non-exhaustive overview of its activities. (Re)Discover the leitmotiv of the network, its fields of expertise and its vast diversity.

About the Pasteur Network
The Pasteur Network is a vast human and scientific community with more than 30 members in over 20 countries who together contribute to the improvement of global health. By pooling scientific, human and technical resources among its members, the Pasteur Network acts as a synergistic entity to respond to global challenges. Its members share strategic priorities such as epidemic intelligence and preparedness, and research and development to support manufacturing of diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics. The Pasteur Network also supports the creation of diverse collaborative multi-disciplinary communities of knowledge through regional and global mobility. Located in the heart of endemic areas, the Network has privileged access to a large number of pathogens that it monitors and studies on all five continents. This exceptional diversity makes the Pasteur Network a global actor in public health, science, innovation, and education, especially in the fight against infectious diseases.

Due to globalization and the spread of vectors such as mosquitoes, dengue disease is an increasing burden on public health across the world. Rapid detection of vector species, and prevention of their establishment can be achieved by tracking vectors.  Scientists from the Pasteur Network, based at the Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, the Institut Pasteur du Camboge, the Institut Pasteur du Laos and the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, published an article in Plos One showing MALDI-TOF MS as a promising tool that could be used for an international surveillance of mosquito vectors of arbovirus.

A public health burden

Dengue virus is a pathogen transmitted to humans by vector mosquitoes. It causes mostly mild illness or flu-like syndromes. However, repeated infections are known to cause severe and potentially fatal clinical forms, called severe dengue.

Due to globalization, the geographical distribution of mosquitoes known to transmit the dengue virus is increasing, particularly in non-endemic regions. Dengue global incidence has increased eightfold in the last decades with an estimation of 390 million infected individuals per year across the world.[1] The dispersal risk highlights the need to improve vectors surveillance, ensuring rapid detection of introduced vector species and prevention of their establishment in new areas. The surveillance relies on accurate species identification of the vectors. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, as known as the tiger mosquito, which have a worldwide distribution, are the well-known vectors of dengue virus. However, in the Pacific region, at least 9 other species belonging to the Scutellaris Group mosquitoes are present and are confirmed or potential vectors of dengue virus.

MALDI-TOF MS for a global surveillance of mosquitoes

Mosquitoes of the Scutellaris Group are morphologically similar and pre-existing DNA sequence information is often unavailable. Therefore, scientists from the Pasteur Network, assessed the use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) in identifying these dengue virus vector species.  MALDI-TOF MS is a method that generates protein spectra specific for each species.

Field-mosquitoes belonging to 8 species[2] from 6 countries in the Pacific, Asian and Madagascar, were included in this study carried out by the Institut Pasteur de Nouvelle-Calédonie, in collaboration with the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Institut Pasteur du Laos and the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar. Analysis provided evidence that a MALDI-TOF database created using mosquitoes from the Pacific region allowed suitable identification from the other regions. This technic was as efficient as the DNA sequencing method in identifying mosquito species. Indeed, for the most cases, an exact species identification was obtained for all individual mosquitoes even for morphologically and phylogenetically closely related species. Ultimately, these findings highlight that the MALDI-TOF MS is a promising tool that could be used for a global comprehensive arbovirus vectors surveillance.

For more information:
MALDI-TOF MS: An effective tool for a global surveillance of dengue vector species
Plos One, October 2022.
Antsa Rakotonirina*, Morgane Pol, Fara Nantenaina Raharimalala, Valentine Ballan, Malia Kainiu, Sébastien Boyer, Sosiasi Kilama, Sébastien Marcombe, Sylvie Russet, Emilie Barsac, Rama Vineshwaran, Malia Kaleméli Selemago, Vincent Jessop, Geneviève Robic, Romain Girod, Paul T. Brey, Julien Colot, Myrielle Dupont-Rouzeyrol, Vincent Richard, Nicolas Pocquet
*Corresponding author.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276488

[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue

[2] Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. polynesiensis, Ae. scutellaris, Ae. pseudoscutellaris, Ae. malayensis, Ae. futunae and Culex quinquefasciatus

The Institut Pasteur de Madagascar in collaboration with the Institut Pasteur de Tunis and the Institut Pasteur, in Paris, all three members of the Pasteur Network, are organizing a course entitled “Les dimensions sociales des épidémies”. During 5 days, from April 17th to 21th, 2023, at the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, the 25 participants will be able to strengthen their knowledge and capacities in Human and Social Sciences (HSS). HSS researchers of the Pasteur Network in Africa or involved in the Afroscreen project who speak French and are interested can apply until January 15th, 2023.

This course, carried out with the support of the Sonar Global and Afroscreen projects, is part of the capacity building process in Human and Social Sciences (HSS) at the level of the Pasteur Network and more broadly of African research and health institutes. 25 participants will be selected among the candidates who will have applied before January 15th, 2023 by filling the dedicated Google Form.

The courses will be given in person during 5 days by trainers from the Institute of Research in Health Sciences of Burkina Faso, the Social Sciences Pole of the Regional Center of Research and Training in Clinical Management of Fann in Dakar, Senegal, the Center of Research and Training in Infectiology of Guinea, the Higher Institute of Human Sciences of Tunis, the Institut Pasteur in Paris and the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar.

Applicant Profiles:
Researchers in SHS anthropologists, sociologists, specialists in education sciences, human geography, historians and data scientists applied to health who speak French.

From:
Researchers from Pasteur Network members in Africa or researchers involved in the Afroscreen project (IRD, ANRS|MIE networks).

Requirements:

For more information:
Application area: https://forms.gle/sNcAVwcVycHrjLXM9
Article dedicated to the Institut Pasteur de Madagascar (in French): https://www.pasteur.mg/offres/appel-a-candidature-cours-du-pasteur-network-les-dimensions-sociales-des-epidemies-du-17-au-21-avril-2023-lieu-institut-pasteur-de-madagascar/