Notable Discoveries

Notable Discoveries

Institut Pasteur scientists
For over two centuries, Institut Pasteur scientists – on five continents – have been improving lives through the discovery of vaccines, improved treatments, therapies and cures.

21st Century

  • Vaccine against Helicobacter pylori (2000s)
  • An early detection test for colon cancer (2000s)
  • Identification of the role nicotine plays in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
  • Identification of new susceptibility genes for Autism (2000s)
  • First identification of the genes involved in deafness (2000s)

20th Century

  • Development of vaccines for diphtheria and tetanus (1920s)
  • Vaccine against yellow fever (1920s)
  • Discovery of the anti-infectious power of sulfa drugs (1960)
  • First to isolate HIV, the virus that causes AIDS (1983)
  • Development of the AIDS blood test (1984)
  • Isolation of the second AIDS virus, HIV-2 (1985)
  • Genetically-engineered vaccine against hepatitis B (1989)
  • First probe to detect listeria in food (1990)
  • Rapid diagnostic tests for Helicobacter pylori bacterium (stomach ulcers) (1990)
  • Rapid tests to detect multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (1993)

19th Century

  • First vaccine against rabies (1885)
  • Serotherapy treatments of diphtheria (1894)
  • Identification of bubonic plague bacillus (1894)