The Institut Pasteur and the Institut Curie have embarked on a new collaborative research strategy. A framework agreement was signed on June 22, 2022 between Professor Sir Stewart Cole, President of the Institut Pasteur, and Professor Thierry Philip, Chairman of the Institut Curie's Executive Board. The aim is to push the boundaries of knowledge in cancer cell biology, immunology and human genetics, including via cross-cutting approaches in the fields of biophysics and chemistry.
Strengthening cooperation between the Institut Pasteur and the Institut Curie, two private foundations with recognized charitable status, represents a unique opportunity for national and international research. The two institutions, linked by a shared history dating back more than a hundred years, are engaged in outstanding research that helps advance current knowledge in biology, immunology, human genetics and oncology, for the benefit of human health.
Professor Thierry Philip, Chairman of the Institut Curie's Executive Board: "Sharing, working together, boosting visibility and raising awareness – these are our primary goals, and I am delighted. This type of scientific cooperation will lead to future innovation. Far from the cliché of the scholar holed away in a laboratory, scientists also have to be entrepreneurs, navigating their way through a highly competitive system."
Professor Sir Stewart Cole, President of the Institut Pasteur:
"As well as considerably strengthening scientific synergies, this collaboration will also be beneficial in human terms, because there will be more opportunities for staff exchanges and mobility between research laboratories and central facilities," adds Professor Christophe d'Enfert, the Institut Pasteur's Senior Executive Scientific Vice-President.
"With research increasingly funded by major calls for proposals, particularly at the European level, joining our forces is a strategic response. Cooperative frameworks like this will pave the way for future innovation in the fight against cancer. We will combine the strength, intelligence and excellence of the research teams at the Institut Curie and the Institut Pasteur. It bodes well for the performance of national and international research," enthuses Professor Alain Puisieux, Director of the Institut Curie Research Center.
This agreement also aims to facilitate the onboarding of PhD students and postdoctoral fellows to increase the impact of research and encourage new joint teaching initiatives.
As a co-founder of the Institut Curie in 1909, together with the Rothschild family and Marie Curie, the Institut Pasteur is represented on the Institut Curie's Supervisory Board as a founding member. The mutual commitment and respect between the two research centers has been ongoing ever since, true to the spirit of founders Louis Pasteur and Marie Curie.
The Institut Pasteur and the Institut Curie, both private foundations with recognized charitable status, are united not only by a long shared history but also by numerous scientific collaborations and a mutual determination to alleviate human suffering.
The four key points of the Institut Pasteur-Institut Curie framework agreement
- Strengthen their partnership in research and education in the fields of basic, applied, translational and clinical research.
- Foster synergies in cell biology, cancer research, immunology and human genetics, including cross-cutting approaches such as biophysics, imaging, chemistry and computational biology.
- Develop joint projects for ambitious technological advancements including the acquisition of new equipment, especially for cryo-electron microscopy.
- Work together on specific innovative measures to boost our joint efforts and results in the field of public health.
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