Silkworm, science worm.

Abstract

From 1865 to 1869, on a "government order", Louis Pasteur tackled a silkworm disease, the pebrine, which was ruining the economy of southern France. Well beyond the scientific results-he was going to highlight a second disease, the flacherie-and the operational results-he installed techniques to limit the progression of one disease and protected the farms from the other-, this sequence opened the door to what would become Pasteur's working method: a science involved in practice, a great importance given to the team of collaborators and to innovations of all kinds, in this case, microphotography. It also establishes the characteristics of the socialization of the Pasteurian approach: diffusion of methods among all the social actors concerned, networking of scientists and internationalization of research.