Our key projects

Developing tomorrow's vaccines and immunotherapies

The Center for Vaccinology and Immunotherapy (CVI)

The Center for Vaccinology and Immunotherapy (CVI), launched in 2024, seeks to accelerate the development of next-generation vaccines and immunotherapies through collaboration with hospitals and academic and industry partners both in France and worldwide.

Work carried out by the CVI is focused on three key fields: 

•    Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases such as influenza, mpox, dengue, chikungunya, hemorrhagic fevers, malaria, plague and shigellosis, with teams seeking to develop more effective vaccines and antibodies to fight infections that pose a threat to global health. 
•    Development of cutting-edge technologies and core facilities in the field of immuno-monitoring and preclinical models used in containment conditions for testing the immunogenicity and efficacy of vaccine and antibody candidates.
•    Scientific coordination of programs (EVH, France Vaccins), education on vaccinology, and efforts to seek funding to support our research.

Emerging infectious disease control infrastructure unique to Europe

Research Center on Vector-Borne Diseases (CMTV)

Coronavirus, dengue, Zika, Lyme disease, malaria, influenza... Infectious diseases continue to pose an increasing level of threat. Moreover, they have now infiltrated previously unscathed regions due to human migration, deforestation, intensive farming and climate disruption. 

Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of infectious disease cases, causing 700,000 deaths per year worldwide (WHO). In 2025, France registered a record number of locally acquired chikungunya cases.

In response to this growing threat, construction is currently under way on the Institut Pasteur's Research Center on Vector-Borne Diseases (CMTV), a 9,000 m² facility due to be operational by 2028. 

A cornerstone of the Pasteur 2030 Strategic Plan, the CMTV is foreseen as a leading global center for understanding and fighting emerging infectious diseases, and vector-borne infections in particular, as part of a One Health approach that takes account of interactions between humans, animals and the environment.

The CMTV will bring a dozen research units and four cutting-edge core facilities together under one roof, offering:

•    rapid outbreak response capabilities, from early detection of emerging pathogens to the development of diagnostics, vaccines and treatments;
•    an integrated approach, from molecule to organism, combining virology, parasitology, bacteriology, entomology and state-of-the-art imaging (cryo-EM, nanoimaging, photonic imaging) to elucidate all stages of infection and transmission cycles between pathogens, vectors and hosts;
•    collaborative spaces designed to encourage cross-disciplinary work, host French and international partners, particularly through the Pasteur Network, and train the next generation of scientists.

The CMTV has been designed according to stringent energy performance and sufficiency requirements and therefore also embodies the Institut Pasteur's commitment to the environment and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).

Our ambition is for the CMTV to become the world's first center capable of using cutting-edge imaging techniques to investigate a large majority of the vector-borne pathogens identified by WHO – from molecular interactions to the physiology of whole organisms – cementing the Institut Pasteur's position as a key player in the response to future health crises.

Detecting and responding to future pandemics

The Pasteur Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (P3I)

The Pasteur Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (P3I) enhances the Institut Pasteur's ability to plan for and respond to global health crises. 

It harnesses the institute's strengths within the field of infectious disease surveillance and research and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic as the basis of a cross-cutting approach to infectious disease threat preparedness and response.

This major initiative is organized around six goals: 

•    enhancing epidemiological surveillance through the National Reference Centers (CNRs), Laboratory for Urgent Response to Biological Threats (CIBU) and Outbreak Investigation Taskforce (OITF);
•    carrying out more advanced biological investigations of pathogens that entail the greatest risk of new outbreaks and pandemics to identify potential targets for treatments or vaccines;
•    preparing for fast-track development of treatments and vaccines when a new pathogen emerges;
•    accelerating the development and assessment of diagnostic solutions suitable for emergency situations; 
•    establishing patient cohorts (groups with common characteristics that are monitored over time) infected with emerging pathogens in collaboration with reference health care establishments in the Paris Public Hospital Network (AP-HP);
•    supporting any changes needed to improve our ability to organize effectively in response to health crises triggered by infectious diseases.

The microbiome: a new frontier in personalized medicine

Spotlight on the microbiota with the Integrative Microbiome Program at Pasteur (IM2P)

Did you know your body is home to more bacteria, viruses and fungi than human cells? This invisible ecosystem, comprising billions of bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites, is known as the microbiota. Its role in immunity, metabolism, mental health and the development of many chronic diseases is central to one of the most promising current scientific revolutions. 

What is even more extraordinary is the potential of these microscopic communities to act as "living drugs".

In order to fully tap the potential offered by this field of research, the Institut Pasteur launched the Integrative Microbiome Program at Pasteur (IM2P) with around forty teams working towards the shared goal of using the microbiota as a tool to improve understanding, prediction and care. 

This program is underpinned by three key priorities:

•    determining the role of the microbiota in immunity, inflammation and chronic diseases (Crohn's disease, diabetes, obesity, etc.);
•    developing predictive and personalized approaches to shape the future of medicine, including "living" treatments like fecal transplantation, which has already proved successful in the treatment of certain recurrent Clostridioides difficile bacterial infections; 
•    pooling scientific expertise to conduct cutting-edge research. Research on host-microbe interactions encompasses a unique combination of disciplines including molecular microbiology, infectiology, immunology, neuroscience and computational biology. We work in close collaboration with the Imagine Institute, Institut Curie, Gustave Roussy Institute and the Paris Public Hospital Network (AP-HP). This program seeks to cement the Institut Pasteur's position as a global leader in microbiome research.

Artificial intelligence reinventing medical research

The Pasteur AI initiative

Much more than an analytical tool, artificial intelligence is opening up new scientific frontiers and can now be used to predict, generate and assess new biological findings.

The Pasteur AI initiative, launched in late 2025, puts artificial intelligence at the heart of our research. 

One of our flagship projects involves the creation of digital twins of pathogenic bacteria to predict antimicrobial resistance, while also providing scientists with a living knowledge base.

As a further example, scientists in the Machine Learning for Integrative Genomics team have developed a novel method for monitoring cell development without the need for continual observation (STORIES project). This work seeks to shed light on the influence of environments on cell fate, particularly in the early stages of diseases.

Under the Pasteur AI initiative, we are also strengthening our academic partnerships with prestigious stakeholders including PR[AI]RIE, Inria, EMBL/EBI and Université Paris Cité.