ABSTRACT
French reconstruction in biomedicine and pharmaceuticals, like in many other areas of science and industry, presents both radical and conservative features. This was partly attributable to France’s demographic situation, as a new generation of scientists, many of whom were associated with the resistance movement, came to maturity at the end of the war. 2 The departure of Fourneau from the Pasteur Institute, followed by his death, symbolized the passing of a generation and, with it, of a close and personal relationship with industry. At the same time, the Pasteur Institute underwent a wave of reforms that eventually led to the separation of its two traditional functions of research and production. It developed its vocation of fundamental research, which enabled it to survive as a scientific institution, but in so doing distanced itself from industry.
