This text is part of the special notebook 55 years of INRS
Well established in Laval, the Armand-Frappier Health Biotechnology Center (AFSB) continues the mission of its founder, Doctor Armand Frappier, in terms of research while integrating an ecosystem vision of health.
“Armand Frappier’s vision was to create a world-renowned research establishment dedicated to the promotion of public health and the training of high-caliber scientists,” explains David Chatenet, full professor and director of the Armand-Frappier Health Biotechnology Center. . We have remained faithful to the legacy and vision of our founder and, for several years, we have adopted a global and interconnected approach to health. »
The Center has, in fact, adopted an approach based on the concept of “one health” (One Health in English), a term used, among others, by the World Health Organization. It is about adopting a strategy and actions that take into account the global interconnection between human health, animal health and ecosystems, since everything is connected. “For a very long time, we saw these three health conditions independently, but they are all integrated,” adds David Chatenet.
Diseases and globalization
In terms of strategic directions, whether it’s sustainable health or infectious diseases, the AFSB Center views issues from the perspective of this global One Health ecosystem.
With the increase in transportation and climate change, diseases present in countries in the South are likely to come back to North America and appear in Quebec. “With the pandemic, INRS made a monumental effort to set up a functional level 3 laboratory, which allowed us to make progress in the work on COVID-19, which is now being extended with the study other emerging pathogens. In the coming years, we want to move forward to study viruses that are not yet known to be potentially pandemic and work upstream before this becomes problematic. »
In biosafety, a level 3 laboratory can work on diseases such as COVID-19, dengue or influenza.
Building on its relationship with the Pasteur network, INRS has interactions with Pasteur Institutes located in subtropical zones, where we find more pathogens likely to travel to the north through transmission vectors such as mosquitoes.
“We are making significant efforts in terms of virology and infectiology in the broad sense, working on viruses but also bacteria, particularly in relation to meningitis and leishmania [responsable de la maladie leishmaniose], a parasite which is found mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and of which we are starting to see a few cases in the United States. We think it could go back that far in a few years. We are working to better understand the mechanisms but also with the aim of arriving at therapeutic solutions with industrial and pharmaceutical partners. »
Sustainable health
On the other hand, the concept of sustainable health implies taking into account the effects of the environment and living environments on human health, but also implies understanding how human activity can have effects on this environment which may therefore have repercussions on health.
“We have researchers working on the impact of environmental pollutants or endocrine disruptors and their links with breast cancer and male infertility. For example, flame retardants found in materials are likely to be found in the human body and increase the risk of certain cancers. »
Popularization
Located in the Cité de la Biotech de Laval, the AFSB Center is increasingly collaborating with the City of Laval and the community. This is how the Apprentice Researchers program offered to secondary schools was developed. As part of this mentoring, third, fourth and fifth secondary students are introduced to science by working alongside researchers in laboratories for a week.
“For us, it’s a way of giving back to the community,” says David Chatenet. We also organize information kiosks and conferences for the general public in partnership with the Armand-Frappier Health Museum, to popularize science. It is important to better arm the public against disinformation and to democratize scientific knowledge to have a population that better understands scientific phenomena and the information it receives.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.