One month after the successful launch of the Yellow4FLAVI project at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, the French Secretary of State for Development and Partnership, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, made an important visit to Dr. Giovanna Barba-Spaeth's FlavImmunity laboratory, Yellow4FLAVI Coordinator. Accompanied by the Institut Pasteur's Director Yasmine Belkaid, this visit was part of France's vaccination week activities, underscoring the significance of ongoing research on Flaviviruses.
Dr. Barba-Spaeth's research group aims to understand virus immunogenicity from a structural perspective, with a particular focus on new emerging viruses
"We use the yellow fever 17D vaccine as a model to understand Flavivirus entry, maturation, and antigenicity, focusing on the molecular determinants driving the conformational changes regulating these important processes. Using both cryo-electron microscopy on the whole virus and functional assays, we propose that the structure of the YF17D particle plays a major role in determining the vaccine's immunogenicity and can be used as a model to design vaccines for other Flaviviruses. Our goal is to analyze the general paradigms governing Flavivirus antigenicity and maturation to establish pipelines and tools that will enhance our preparedness against new and re-emerging pathogens of global public health concern.", said Giovanna Barba Spaeth.
During the visit, Dr. Giovanna Barba-Spaeth, Yellow4FLAVI’s Scientific Coordinator, along with her team—Dr. Claudia Umana Diaz, Dr. Max Baker, Sina Sommer, and Marine Hurard, Yellow4FLAVI project manager—had the opportunity to welcome the Secretary of State to their laboratory. They presented the project’s objectives and expected outcomes, highlighting the critical role of their research in advancing global health initiatives. The presence of the Institut Pasteur’s leadership further emphasized the importance of this collaborative effort in addressing global public health challenges.
©Institut Pasteur, François Gardy
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