On March 27, 2024, the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo was inaugurated by French President, Emmanuel Macron. As a member of the Pasteur Network, this institute, founded by the Institut Pasteur and the University of São Paulo, conducts international-level research in the field of health biology to further understanding of diseases and their impact on human health, especially in the context of climate change. The inauguration ceremony was hosted by Paola Minoprio, the Executive Director of the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, and brought together a high-level delegation, including Yasmine Belkaid, President of the Institut Pasteur and Vice-President of the Pasteur Network, and Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, Rector of the University of São Paulo. It was followed by a tour of the institute's laboratories and discussions between the French President, researchers, students and Brazilian authorities. The inauguration of this structure comes just one year after the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, a Brazilian private non-profit association, signed its articles of association.
The delegation attending the ceremony also included, Vahan Agopyan, Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Marco Antonio Zago, President of FAPESP, Fernando Menezes, President of the Board of the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, Stéphane Séjourné, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Emmanuel Lenain, French Ambassador to Brazil, Sylvie Lemmet, Ambassador for Environment for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), Yves Teyssier D’Orfeuil, Consul General of France in São Paulo, Rémi Rioux, CEO of the AFD, Antoine Petit, Chairman and CEO of the CNRS, Valérie Verdier, Chairwoman of the Board and CEO of the IRD, Elisabeth Claverie De Saint Martin, CEO of the Cirad, Catherine Lagneau, CEO of BRGM, Monique Barbut, President of WWF-France, Sophie Sidos, President of CCEF, Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister of National Education and Youth from 2017 to 2022, Laurent Linguet, President of the University of Guyane, Anaïs Fléchet, historian, lecturer at the University Paris-Saclay (UVSQ).
The Institut Pasteur de São Paulo is a private, non-profit association, founded on March 31, 2023 by the Institut Pasteur and the University of São Paulo, following a collaboration agreement established in 2017. Based at the University of São Paulo, in the capital of São Paulo, Brazil, on a 2000 m² site within the university campus, the institute houses seventeen laboratories, four of which are high standing biosafety level 3 (NB3/NBA3).
The Institut Pasteur de São Paulo is a member of the Pasteur Network, an alliance of over 30 institutes which plays a crucial role in tackling global health challenges through science, innovation and public health. It is the sixth member of the Pasteur Network in the Americas and the second Brazilian member, along with Fiocruz.
Paola Minoprio, Executive Director of the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, member of the Pasteur Network
This ceremony marks the outcome of years of dedicated collaboration with our esteemed partners, including the University of São Paulo, Fapesp, the Institut Pasteur, and the Pasteur Network. It represents a significant milestone not only for our institute but for all the talented teams at the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, whose relentless efforts have brought our vision to reality since its opening in 2019. Their unwavering commitment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has left a mark on the history of our institution.
« President Macron's visit to USP for the formal inauguration of the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo represents the international importance of the initiative. Brazilian and French researchers will share laboratories, which will undoubtedly further improve the quality of infectious disease research at USP. Based on the studies developed at the institute, we will certainly be better prepared to face future pandemics. The recent partnership with the CNRS, another important French research institution, is also part of USP's internationalization policy. »
Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior, University of São Paulo (USP) Rector
Yasmine Belkaid, President of the Institut Pasteur, member of the Pasteur Network
Throughout its history, Institut Pasteur has forged strong links with Brazil. The inauguration of the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo confirms our strong commitment to our Brazilian partners, to work in a close partnership for the health of all, both locally and internationally. I thank all the team of the Institut Pasteur of São Paulo, particulary the University of São Paulo and the FAPESP, for their admirable work in building this new Institut in such a rapid pace. Today, to respond to new global challenges, it is essential to study the health impact of climate change and the conditions of emergence of new pathogens. The scientific community must commit itself to a plural and collective approach, through the creation of multidisciplinary and international institutions. The vocation of Institut Pasteur, in conjunction with Pasteur Network, encompassing a strong and long-term relationship we have forged with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), has always been to support this humanistic and sharing dynamic in the service of people's health.
"We are proud to celebrate the inauguration of the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, a cornerstone institution of the Pasteur Network in the Americas. Nestled strategically within a biodiverse region, this institute embodies scientific excellence by harnessing cutting-edge facilities and expertise to tackle urgent global health issues, notably climate change and infectious diseases such as COVID-19 and dengue, which presently afflict this region. By aligning goals with the Pasteur Network, this high-level scientific institute will undoubtedly enrich our collective efforts and advance our mission to safeguard global health."
Dr. Amadou Alpha Sall, President of the Board of Directors of the Pasteur Network
World-class research in Biological Science
The Institut Pasteur de São Paulo develops world-class research in Biological Science on communicable, non-communicable, emerging, re-emerging, neglected or progressive diseases that cause complex immune responses, produce nervous system disorders, and impact human and animal public health.
It has 6 research teams: Integrative Biology; Eco-epidemiology, Diversity and Evolution of Emerging Viruses; Modeling Nervous System Diseases; Trypanosomatid Infectious Processes; Vaccinology; Clinical and Molecular Virology.
The Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, formerly operating as the Pasteur-USP Scientific Platform since 2019, has published over 90 scientific papers, including research on COVID-19 and Zika syndrome to shed light on the pathogenesis of these viruses. It played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, for example in developing and testing several diagnostic methods for COVID-19.
The researchers involved with the Institut Pasteur de São Paulo share their areas of expertise, infrastructure, and cutting-edge equipment and approach with one and the same goal – to strengthen the development of joint initiatives, develop preventive, diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic methods in relation to the diseases studied, and promote innovation, technology transfer and knowledge sharing.
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The stages leading up to the inauguration of the Institute. The Institut Pasteur de São Paulo was created after a series of agreements over the 2015-2023 period.
For more information, visit the official Institut Pasteur de São Paulo website.
Read the March 2023 press release on the Institut Pasteur website : The Institut Pasteur and the University of São Paulo sign articles of association to establish the Institut Pasteur in São Paulo
