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Document de presse | 2016.01.27
Tuberculosis: discovery of a critical stage in the evolution of the bacillus towards pathogenicity
It is the disappearance of a glycolipid from the bacterial cell envelope during evolution that may have considerably increased the virulence of tuberculosis bacilli in humans. Scientists from the CNRS, the Institut Pasteur and the Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier[1] have shown that this disappearance modified the surface properties of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, favoring its...
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Portrait | 2018.11.05
Lhousseine Touqui, helping some thanks to others
Driven by curiosity, Lhousseine Touqui has spent many years conducting fundamental research on the respiratory system. Today, his work in the joint Institut Pasteur/Cochin Hospital-PARIS 5 University unit aims to address real needs.Lhousseine Touqui was born in Marrakesh, Morocco where his parents were farmers. He had a gift for mathematics and so specialized in the subject at high school. But...
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News | 2021.07.19
COVID-19: interaction identified between SARS-CoV-2 and unusual RNA structures in human cells
Replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, depends on a series of interactions between viral proteins and different cellular partners such as nucleic acids (DNA or RNA). Characterizing these interactions is crucial to elucidate the process of viral replication and identify new drugs for treating COVID-19.An interdisciplinary consortium of scientists from the Institut Pasteur,...
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Document de presse | 2025.09.19
Consumption of food additives during pregnancy: effects on offspring microbiota increase susceptibility to inflammatory diseases
A study conducted in mice by scientists from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm reveals that maternal consumption of dietary emulsifiers can have a negative impact on the gut microbiota of their offspring. These microbiota alterations are thought to significantly increase their risk of developing chronic inflammatory gut disorders and obesity in adulthood. The harmful transgenerational effects of...
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Document de presse | 2010.09.13
Tuberculosis: discovery of new genes involved in the parasitism of cells by the tubercle bacillus
A European-Asian collaboration of scientists, notably including CNRS, the Institut Pasteur in Paris, the Institut Pasteur Korea in Seoul (IP Korea/Equipe Avenir Inserm(1)) and the Université de Toulouse have identified ten virulence genes of the tubercle bacillus. The inactivation of these genes lessens the pathogenic effects of the bacillus. This discovery, published in the journal PLoS...
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Document de presse | 2016.09.19
Too much fat rapidly disrupts the balance of the gut microbiota
A destabilizing factor such as a change in diet can disrupt the entire gut microbiota, with possible health consequences. An international study led by the Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Unit (Institut Pasteur/Inserm), directed by Philippe Sansonetti, has recently demonstrated in mice that a high-fat diet has a direct influence on the gut microbiota and its environment. Bacterial communities...
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News | 2016.02.01
How does Legionella pneumophila, the bacterium causing legionellosis, use the host cell machinery to its own advantage?
During analysis of Legionella pneumophila genome sequence, the team from the Biology of Intracellular Bacteria Unit (Institut Pasteur/CNRS), headed by Carmen Buchrieser, identified genes coding for proteins that were predicted to be involved in the infection of human cells. In this study, published in the journal PNAS, the researchers show that one of these proteins is secreted in the human cell...
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Portrait | 2018.10.04
Anna-Bella Failloux, an all-terrain entomologist!
Close to 70 different nationalities work alongside each other on the Institut Pasteur's Paris campus, and Anna-Bella has come all the way from Tahiti. She was born in Papeete, French Polynesia and lived there until the age of 18. This small paradise conjures up idyllic images but it is blighted by mosquitoes. Maybe that is why Anna-Bella became a medical entomologist specializing in mosquito...
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Document de presse | 2022.12.19
Modelling has evaluated the role of antiviral treatment and vaccination in exiting the Zero-COVID strategy in Wallis and Futuna
By June 2022, the Wallis and Futuna Islands, a French overseas territory, had successfully implemented a Zero-COVID strategy that significantly reduced the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections. From mid-June 2022, a gradual reopening of the borders was planned. However, the relatively low immunity in the population (due to limited vaccination coverage and the number of previous infections) and the...
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News | 2022.06.03
Tackling fungal infections more effectively through surveillance
A review study on the epidemiology of fungal infections in France opens new avenues for research to tackle these diseases more effectively.