New Insectarium at the University of Strasbourg

On Thursday 8 September 2016, the cornerstone of the Insectarium at the University of Strasbourg was laid by, among others, Jules Hoffmann, Nobel Prize for medicine in 2011, Sylviane Muller, new Director of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMC) - both permanent chairs at USIAS - and Jean-Luc Imler (2014 USIAS Fellow). The new edifice will be built as an extension of the IBMC and is funded as part of the university's "Opération Campus" program. 
 
This experimental platform will contain an animal room and biosecure space. The aim is to study infectious diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and malaria that can be transmitted by mosquitoes - that cause the death of nearly 2 million people each year! - and use the resulting research to make major advances in the fight against these diseases. 
 
Jules Hoffmann has been advocating the creation of an insectarium for some years as there is currently no equivalent structure in Europe; it will represent a unique environment to develop scientific collaborations and high profile training at the national, European or international level.

Some photos of the event