THE SUCCESS STORIES OF BULGARIAN RESEARCHERS IN THE PASTEUR NETWORK

On the 7th March 2024, the Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology celebrated its 77th anniversary, as well as its 20th year as a member of the Pasteur Network, showcasing Bulgarian researchers' successes.

The Director of the Institute, Prof. Penka Petrova, opened the event, highlighting the institute's achievements and its role in the Pasteur network. Cecilia Castillo, responsible for the regional and strategic development of the Pasteur Network in the Euro-Mediterranean region, welcomed attendees, outlining the network's prospects and cooperation opportunities.

During the event, Assoc. Prof. Valcheva, head of the ‘Molecular Biology of Mycobacteria Laboratory’, presented collaborational benefits and opportunities in the Pasteur Network. From the Immunology Department’s ‘Laboratory of Experimental Immunotherapy’, Dr. Milena Leseva, highlighted the career growth through ACIP collaboration projects, and Dr. Manoilov presented his work on the ‘Design of vaccines and generation of new experimental models’.

Furthermore, the ‘Scientific Council of the Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology’ presented the following awards, recognising outstanding contributions to scientific research:

The Team Award was given to Dr. Martina Savova, Dr. Lilia Mikhailova, and Prof. Milen Georgiev from the ‘Metabolomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology’; acknowledging for their recent publication titled ‘Targeting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in obesity’; demonstrating significant contributions to the understanding of molecular mechanisms in the development and treatment of metabolic disorders.

At the ceremony, the ‘Stephan Angeloff Foundation’ awarded prizes for the best publications of young Bulgarian microbiologists for 2023 as follows:

1st prize Nikola Ralchev, ‘Experimental Immunology Laboratory’, Department of Immunology, Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, BAS

2nd prize Petya Dimitrova, ‘Cellular Microbiology Laboratory’, Department of General Microbiology, Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, BAS

3rd prize Preslava Mihailova Hristova, Department of Microbiology, Virology and Medical Genetics, Medical University - Pleven 

Overall, these achievements underscore the institute's commitment to excellence in research and its active participation within the Pasteur Network, contributing to the ongoing global efforts in combating infectious diseases and the progress of scientific knowledge in general.