Institut Pasteur de Lille (IPL)

The Institut Pasteur de Lille (IPL) in Lille, France, is a centenary institute known for its research in infectious diseases, in particular the discovery of the tuberculosis vaccine BCG (Bacille Calmette – Guérin) by its first Director General Albert Calmette. It is among the three largest non-for-profit private research institutes in France, still with a major focus on infectious diseases. The Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille (CIIL) is the largest research unit of IPL and is composed of 14 research teams and 3 technological platforms. The research team headed by Dr Camille Locht within the CIIL is composed of approximately 25 members, has been working on bacterial infections, in particular Bordetella pertussis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, for several decades. In particular, the laboratory is interested in understanding the basic molecular and cellular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and the potential applications of this knowledge for the development of novel vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

Within the PERISCOPE project, the IPL will be participating in the pre-clinical studies, especially for the development of microbiological assays to probe antibody function. IPL will also be in charge for the communication and dissemination of research results.

Dr Camille Locht is the head of the CIIL and leads a research group on pertussis and tuberculosis. He has been working on pertussis since more than 30 years and has cloned and sequenced the first B. pertussis gene (coding for pertussis toxin). Furthermore he has developed a live attenuated vaccine candidate currently in clinical development.