Odile Bain (April 28, 1939–October 16, 2012): A Life Dedicated to Systematics and Biology of Filariae

Abstract

​OdileOdile Bain was born on April 28, 1939, in Dalat, Vietnam, where her father, a military officer, was based. She went to high school in Dakar, Senegal, and graduated in biology in Rennes (France) in 1960. She taught biology at a high school for two years and then worked as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Rennes in 1962. In 1963, she started a postgraduate course in histology in Paris. Odile moved to the Natural History Museum in Paris, France, in September 1964 to join the Helminth Zoology laboratory of Prof. Alain Chabaud. It was there that she began to build an incredible career in parasitology. She first graduated with her PhD (“these de 3eme cycle”) in histology in April 1968. Then, in April 1971, she was awarded her “Doctorat d'Etat es Sciences Naturelles” for her work on “Evolution des filaires chez le vecteur: morphologie larvaire et mecanismes du passage des microfilaires dans l'hemocele.” In the meantime, she was appointed by the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in October 1965 as an undergraduate research assistant; then she was granted a position as a CNRS research associate (chargee de recherche) in October 1971 and, later, in January 1984, as a CNRS research supervisor (directeur de recherche). Image 1 Photo courtesy of Kerstin Junker (Ile de France, 2008). The laboratory is a parasitology history lesson in itself. It was founded in 1961 by Prof. Chabaud and gathered specialists of different groups of “worms” and protozoa. Prof. Chabaud supervised several teams of research on parasitic nematodes, trematodes, cestodes, and protozoa. The laboratory was originally located on rue Cuvier but moved to its present location on rue Buffon in 1981. The laboratory quickly established itself as a centre of excellence, but it retained an unbridled hospitality supported by good food and a sucession of resident canine friends. It is in this laboratory that Odile honed her parasitological and morphological skills. She had a passion for biology and microscopy that was unrivalled and universally recognised. In her 50-year career, she published more than 360 articles (Text S1) and had 30 years of successive contracts with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, and the European Union. In 1974, she received the bronze medal of the CNRS, and in 1984, she won the Foulon prize from the French Academy of Sciences for her work on the zoology and parasitology of filarial infections. She was also the curator of the zooparasitic nematodes collection at the French National Natural History Museum, Paris. Odile's primary expertise was the systematics of filariae, and her intimate knowledge of the biology of filariae led to characterization of the phyletic relationships between filarial lineages and those of non-filarial nematodes. Odile's group studied a large number of filarial species collected in many countries, which led to countless worldwide collaborations. Over time, the scope of her research expanded to encompass the medically relevant filarial species that cause diseases of humans in the tropics. In these studies she investigated aspects of vector biology that relate to filarial worm infection with the end goal of devising a means to control transmission. She also developed a strong interest in finding and identifying the vectors of lesser-known zoonotic filarial species. Her knowledge of animal filariae also resulted in the establishment of experimental models of filariasis in rodents (Monanema martini with skin-dwelling microfilariae, Molinema dessetae), including Litomosoides sigmodontis, which is the only filaria capable of establishing patent infections in laboratory mice. Use of these models to study host–parasite interactions has significantly advanced the study of filarial disease, chemotherapy, and immunology. Besides being a most highly respected scientist who strove for only the highest quality research, Odile Bain was an eternal and energetic optimist who welcomed everyone with friendliness, and whose enthusiasm and curiosity were infectious. We all deeply feel her loss and will remember the smiling Odile, always ready to take on new challenges in science.