Newswise — Baltimore, Maryland, USA, January 26, 2021: The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing 67 Centers of Excellence and 10 Affiliates in 36 countries comprising foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans, and the Scientific Platform Pasteur-University of São Paulo (SPPU) announced the addition of the SPPU as GVN’s newest Center of Excellence.
“We are extremely pleased to bring Brazil back into the GVN through the distinguished SPPU,” said Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, who is President of the GVN and Professor at the University of South Florida. “We look forward to this collaboration establishing a stronger, strategic presence in Brazil, and moreover, South America, as this region is integral in mitigating global, viral threats.”
The SPPU’s research encompasses emerging and neglected infectious diseases that are transmitted by pathogens causing complex immune responses, producing nervous system disorders, and impacting human and animal public health. The SPPU works as an Emergency Cell and its main objective is to curb epidemics of those diseases by developing preventive, diagnostic/prognostic, and therapeutic methods. Located at the University of São Paulo, in São Paulo State (Brazil), in a 1,700 m² area, the Platform consists of 17 laboratories, four of which are biosecurity level 3 (NB3) – comparable to the European standard. The SPPU researchers closely share their areas of expertise, infrastructure, and cutting-edge equipment to strengthen the development of joint initiatives with a view towards discovering new products and processes, as well as transferring and applying those innovations. The SPPU is the result of a three-partite agreement celebrated among Institute Pasteur in Paris, the University of São Paulo (USP), and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) from Rio de Janeiro. It is currently a part of the Pasteur Network. The latest GVN Center is led by two Co-Directors, Paola Minoprio, PhD, Executive Coordinator of the SPPU and Executive Director of the Institut Pasteur Brazil and Luís C.S. Ferreira, PhD, Professor and Head of the Laboratory for Vaccine Development at the University of São Paulo.
"The SPPU holds similar vision and mission with the GVN and shall contribute as a partner for the global preparedness and control of current and future viral epidemics, based on strong collaborations of scientists in Brazil and other countries," said Dr. Minoprio and Dr. Ferreira. "The newly established SPPU´s group represents the outcome of strong collaborative work shared between University of São Paulo, the largest and most influential university at South America, and Institut Pasteur, a GVN Center of Excellence and renowned for its excellence in research and capacity to face public health challenges. Joining the GVN presents an opportunity to collaborate on more international initiatives and to gain experience and expertise in facing future viral challenges. Further, based on our expertise from the COVID-19 pandemic, the SPPU is proud to join the GVN SARS-CoV-2 Task Force and share data in diagnostics, serological tests and vaccine development.”
About the Global Virus Network (GVN)
The Global Virus Network (GVN) is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense and first research response to emerging, existing and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health, working in close coordination with established national and international institutions. It is a coalition comprised of eminent human and animal virologists from 67 Centers of Excellence and 10 Affiliates in 36 countries worldwide, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than the GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues and problems posed by pandemic viruses. The GVN is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org. Follow us on Twitter @GlobalVirusNews
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