The institute: History | Board of directors | Introduction

Presentation

The Istituto Pasteur - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti is a non-profit private foundation that arises from the bequest of the Princess Beatrice Fiorenza Cenci Bolognetti to Sapienza Università di Roma with the purpose to encourage scientific research in the general area of the pasteurian sciences and to found a Pasteur Institute in Rome.

The Institute, that since 1970 through a convention stipulated with the Pasteur Institute of Paris is a member of the network, dedicates itself to the study of life’s fundamental mechanisms, a basic research which is essential for the comprehension and the treatment of severe human pathologies.

At present time the Foundation:

- finances high level research projects selected by a peer review system based on anonymous referees chosen among experts of the Pasteur Institute of Paris and other esteemed institutions (EMBO, NIH, Weizmann, ecc). The research projects last three years and are carried out in the University laboratories, as the income deriving from the legacy is still inadequate to manage the expenses required by the plan to build an Institute with independent laboratories.
At the moment there are approx fifty research projects ongoing;

- awards pre- and post- doctoral fellowships to support education of young researchers in Italy, abroad and back to Italy; in the last ten years the Foundation supported young fellows for 3.600.000,00 euro;

- supports a Ph. D. Course of Scuola di Dottorato in Biologia e Medicina Molecolare at Sapienza-Università di Roma;

- funds the provision of a radioactive precursors bank, available to several research labs;

- organizes seminars, conferences and international meetings that represent advantageous opportunities to exchange opinions and compare results.

In the near future the challenge of the Foundation will be the creation of its own laboratories where outstanding researchers of any origin engaged in the field of pasteurian sciences with particular reference to natural defence mechanisms against human pathogens will work together.