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 The "Viral Infections and Comparative Pathology" lab is a joined research unit from INRAE (Animal Health Division), Lyon 1 university and EPHE. Several collaborators from INSERM, veterinary school and the Lyon hospital are part of our unit, allowing us to develop fundamental research projects as well as projects based on the clinic. Located on the university campus of Gerland, an environment rich in academic and private partners in the field of human and animal health, especially infectiology (CIRI, IBCP, BioAster, Lyonbiopole, Sanofi, Boehringer-Merial ....) ; our research unit is one of the contributors of the "SFR Bioscience", a service unit that provides a shared pool of resources and technical core facilities (confined laboratories, animal facilities, imaging platform…). Our goals are to better prevent, detect and fight against endemic or emerging animal diseases.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the circulation of infectious agents with associated health risks. The World organization for animal health (WOAH) highlights the threat of animal diseases to public health: 60% of human pathogens and 75% of new human pathogens are of animal origin. These emerging, re-emerging or endemic diseases highlight the importance of the animal/ human interface in a context of global trade and environmental changes, suggesting that control and management of these health risks can only be considered in a global manner. Our research is part of the "One Health" approach that considers human and animal health as interdependent and linked to the ecosystems in which they coexist. 

We aim to better understand host-virus interactions to prevent, detect and fight virus-induced diseases. We especially work on infection by retroviruses and arboviruses to:

• understand the molecular determinants of infection, pathogenicity and transmission
• study the virus- host (mammals, insects) dialogue and the host response to infection
• develop new tools for field diagnosis and antiviral molecules.

In collaboration with clinicians and veterinarians, we develop "comparative pathology" projects, especially in the lung, by using spontaneous animal cancers to understand human rare cancers. Our expertise allows us to develop cellular and molecular approaches, in vitro, in insecto as well as in vivo using 3D cell system, organoid tissue culture or tissue sections. We use Drosophila as genetic model and viral vectors or microvesicles as antiviral or therapeutic targeting tools.

Our activity is spread across the teams:

1. PR2T
2. BUNYA
3. iWAYS

Director: Dr Fabienne Archer
Deputy director: Dr Frédérick Arnaud

Do not hesitate to Contact us