The microbial communities that live with us, the microbiota, are now understood to be a key component of our being, playing roles in metabolism, immunity and behavior. More than a decade has elapsed since the first meta-sequencing of the human intestinal microbiota, and the demonstration that the microbiota can transfer pathogenic or protective traits to a new host. Microbiotalogy has therefore blossomed enormously in the last decade, for the many promises it offers in the development of new approaches to prevent or treat pathologies.
At Institut Pasteur, many different interests in microbiology, infectiology, immunology and neurosciences converge to investigate the microbiota. At the same time, a plethora of approaches have been developed to study the microbiota, including sequencing and advanced analytical approaches, microbiology of the different types of microbes (bacteria, fungi, protozoans, virus and phages) and gnotobiology (mice devoid of microbiota or colonized with a controlled microbiota).
For these reasons, we have created a Microbiota Bureau with the aim to:
- Centralize the information on the who/how/what of microbiota research on campus, in order to create a platform of discussion and exchange
- Reply to queries on how to develop a microbiota project at Pasteur, and who to contact for specific questions and issues, on campus and beyond.
- Organize information seminars on microbiotalogy.
- Develop projects of general interest for Institut Pasteur
- Attract funding
Please contact the members of the M bureau for any queries, ideas or discussions:
– Marion Bérard, Gnotobiology
– Benoit Chassaing, Microbiology
– Laurent Debarbieux, Microbial Virology
– Gérard Eberl, Immunology and Neuroscience
– Sean Kennedy, Sequencing and bioinformatics
– Javier Pizarro-Cerda, Infectiology
