A new Pasteur- Weizmann tech-transfer initiative
Marking an exciting new chapter in their historic partnership, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Institut Pasteur in Paris recently signed a memorandum of understanding to advance innovation and technology transfer between the two institutions. The agreement was formalized by Prof. Irit Sagi, Vice President for Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Weizmann Institute, and Prof. Yasmine Belkaid, President of the Institut Pasteur.
This led to the launch of a collaborative malaria research project between Dr. Chetan Chitnis, Head of the Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit at Institut Pasteur, and Prof. Neta Regev-Rudzki of the Department of Biomolecular Sciences at the Weizmann Institute.
As part of this project, Regev-Rudzki lab members—research associate Daniel Ben-Hur and PhD student Edo Kiper—visited the Chitnis laboratory in October 2024 to learn directly from Dr. Chitnis, an expert in molecular techniques and imaging methods for studying drug interactions and parasite resistance. This exchange has already borne fruit, resulting in a joint publication by scientists from the two teams.
The partnership continued in May 2025 when Prof. Regev-Rudzki visited the Pasteur Institute. During her two-day visit, she met with Dr. Chitnis and his team to further advance their research projects and engaged in scientific discussions with students and postdoctoral researchers. She also met with infectious disease scientists from various departments to explore potential new collaborations.
A highlight of the visit was Prof. Regev-Rudzki’s seminar, where she presented her latest research on malaria and cell communication, sparking a lively and stimulating discussion.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Daniel and Edo shared: “Our work with the Chitnis group has been both productive and enjoyable. We also had the opportunity to present our findings to Dr. Najma Rachidi’s molecular parasitology team and to exchange ideas with Dr. Julia Bos, a research engineer in Pasteur’s Bacterial Genome Plasticity Unit. Both are interested in antimicrobial peptides, which could open the door to promising future collaborations.”
While there is still progress to be made, the project has recently attracted the attention of the not-for-profit partnership Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV)—a promising indication of its potential impact. The project is now being handed over to Yeda Research and Development, Weizmann’s tech-transfer arm, which will continue driving it forward.
