Pasteur, Toxins/Pathogenicity, Anti-toxins, a Bicentennial Contribution

Louis Pasteur was one of the pioneers of microbiology. L. Pasteur developed scientific approaches for investigating the biology of microorganisms and created the Institut Pasteur, a private foundation devoted to the study of microorganisms and infectious diseases, as well as to education and training in these fields. Over the past century, many Pasteurians have explored the mechanisms of pathogenicity and made major advances in the field of toxicology, including the characterization and mode of action of several bacterial and animal toxins, the development of vaccinations with detoxified toxins (anatoxins or toxoids), and serotherapy. On the occasion of the bicentennial anniversary of L. Pasteur, this Special Issue retraces the history of Pasteurians and the Institut Pasteur activities in the field of animal and bacterial toxins.