Date context
Established in 1887; opened in 1888
From vaccination demand to an institution
The Pasteur team’s work on post-exposure rabies vaccination attracted patients and created demand for a dedicated institution. An international appeal launched in 1886 drew donations from different social groups and supported a plan combining treatment, infectious-disease research and teaching.
Establishment and opening
The institute’s statutes were approved on 4 June 1887, giving it recognized charitable status before construction and preparation were complete. Its inauguration took place on 14 November 1888. These dates mark different legal, organizational and practical stages.
Laboratories and teaching
Different investigators directed the early laboratories, and Roux introduced a microbiology course in 1889. Training transmitted experimental methods to students from other regions and supported new collaborations. This institutional programme involved a wider group than Pasteur alone.
Developing research responsibilities
The institute developed biomedical research, teaching, medical and surveillance activities, working with other organizations. The Paris institute and the institutions participating in the wider Pasteur network have their own histories and organizational settings rather than constituting a single undifferentiated laboratory.