BIOASTER FONDATION DE COOPERATION SCIENTIFIQUE

Their core work

BIOASTER is a French technology research institute (TRI) based in Lyon, specializing in infectious disease research and preclinical drug development. They provide advanced laboratory infrastructure for vaccine development, antimicrobial resistance studies, and immunology-based therapies. Their core contribution to EU consortia is preclinical validation capabilities — bridging the gap between early-stage research and clinical trials for anti-infective treatments. They serve as a translational research platform, helping academic discoveries move toward real-world medical products.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

BIOASTER's early H2020 engagement (2017-2019) centered on building foundational capabilities in vaccinology infrastructure and understanding infectious disease biology, including fungal infections and microbiota research. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward translational medicine — preclinical drug development for tuberculosis and sepsis, precision immunotherapy, and next-generation influenza vaccines with human challenge trials. This evolution shows a clear trajectory from platform-building toward direct therapeutic development and clinical translation.

BIOASTER is moving from infrastructure support toward hands-on preclinical development of anti-infective therapies, making them increasingly valuable as a translational partner for drug and vaccine candidates approaching clinical stages.

How they like to work

BIOASTER operates exclusively as a consortium participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is consistent with their role as a specialized research service provider within larger initiatives. With 140 unique partners across 22 countries, they are deeply embedded in Europe's infectious disease research network and comfortable working in large, multi-national consortia (most of their projects involve 15+ partners). This makes them a low-friction partner to onboard: experienced in EU project mechanics, reliable in delivering defined work packages, but not positioned to lead consortium strategy.

With 140 unique consortium partners spanning 22 countries, BIOASTER has one of the broadest collaboration networks for a mid-sized French research institute. Their partnerships are heavily concentrated in European infectious disease and vaccine development communities, with strong ties to both academic institutions and pharma/biotech companies.

What sets them apart

BIOASTER occupies a distinctive niche as a non-profit technology research institute that functions like a shared preclinical laboratory for the European infectious disease community. Unlike university labs focused on basic research or pharma companies focused on late-stage development, they specialize in the critical translational gap — taking promising anti-infective compounds and vaccines through preclinical validation. Their Lyon base also places them in France's second-largest biotech cluster, with direct access to BSL-3 facilities and established relationships across the vaccine and antibiotic development pipeline.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ERA4TB
  By far their largest H2020 project (EUR 1.8M), focused on accelerating tuberculosis treatment regimens through preclinical development — signals deep commitment and capability in TB drug pipeline.
• INCENTIVE
  Indo-European influenza vaccine consortium (EUR 798K) combining preclinical validation with human challenge trials — rare scope that bridges continents and development stages.
• ImmunoSep
  Represents BIOASTER's expansion into precision medicine and immunotherapy beyond traditional anti-infectives, applying biomarker-driven personalized treatment to sepsis.