Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology: the birthplace of researchers
© Frédérique PLAS / IBPC / CNRS Images
Created to advance scientific research
At a time when French science was facing a decline, the Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology (Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique) or IBPC was inaugurated in 1930 using a groundbreaking model: it was the sole scientific institution employing researchers—biologists, physicists, and chemists—dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge through collaborative efforts.
Its inception was spearheaded by Jean Perrin, recipient of the 1926 Nobel Prize in Physics, and anticipated the establishment of the French National Center for Scientific Research a decade later.
Think about some of the great scientific discoveries and ideas of the past 100 years – antibiotics, DNA, the Big Bang… Now consider how much research was needed to achieve those breakthroughs. The work and position of researchers have advanced significantly over this period. Still, in the 1930s, when concepts like gene and membrane cells emerged, the IBPC’s spirit of innovation rendered it truly unique. Its multidisciplinary character committed solely to advancing knowledge was unparalleled, and it fostered an environment of open exchange, prioritizing joint endeavors critical to future discoveries.
@PHOTO CHEVOJON/IBPC
@PHOTO CHEVOJON/IBPC
Indeed, the creation of the IBPC was essential for the birth of scientific techniques that are still applied today.
Laying the foundations
Between the World Wars, French science, especially biology, was under threat, in particular, due to a lack of resources. Most scientists at that time had to divide their time between researching and teaching.
The founding of the IBPC in 1927 stemmed from a bold collaboration between Jean Perrin and Edmond de Rothschild (1845-1934). Perrin envisioned an institute uniting talented biologists, physicists, and chemists to explore life’s physical and chemical fundamentals—a vision of interdisciplinary research that was ahead of its time.
And it was to be a place where those working there could commit themselves completely to research. As Perrin put it in 1930: “My objective remains that a scientist should be able to make a complete career in research, without any further obligation.”
Taking knowledge forward
Facing a lack of government funding, Perrin turned to Rothschild, who, having known luminaries like Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard, grasped the economic potential of biological research for France. His interest was not just in providing money but also in strategic philanthropy that created meaningful, wider change.
When it was inaugurated on December 22, 1930, the IBPC was celebrated as the most advanced institute in France. Endowed with 30 million francs—exceeding the annual public research budget of 11 million francs, and equivalent to €8.5 million today—the IBPC stood at the forefront of scientific investment. Helmed by four distinguished researchers, known as the Tetrarchs —Jean Perrin, Georges Urbain, André Mayer, and Pierre Girard—it had expanded to have a staff of 62 by the outbreak of the Second World War.
“To describe these men and women working full-time in front of their lab benches, a new word gradually came into common usage: ‘researchers’ rather than ‘savants’.”
Historian Denis Guthleben
Establishing the legacy
In the minds of the Tetrarchs, the IBPC was intended as a testing ground for a global reform of French public research. Its model of full-time researchers, well-equipped laboratories, and a designated group of scientists in charge was later adopted by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (National Center of Scientific Research, CNRS), of which Jean Perrin assumed the presidency.
After the CNRS, several significant public research organizations soon emerged, also echoing the model developed by IBPC. The interdisciplinary, innovative spirit cultivated and refined by IBPC researchers endures in Europe’s leading research institutions today.
Pierre Auger followed his mentor Jean Perrin in leading the physics department at IBPC. Drawing inspiration from the IBPC model, he later played a pivotal role in establishing the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva and fostered European collaboration by laying the groundwork for the European Space Agency.
Continuing the mission as part of CNRS
The departments and laboratories of IBPC were transformed throughout the second half of the 20th century. In 1965 the laboratories became joint units of the CNRS and the Rothschild Foundation gradually withdrew from the IBPC’s operations.
Today, IBPC hosts five research units affiliated with either the institute itself or the Institut des Sciences Chimiques of the CNRS. It brings together 200 researchers, engineers and technicians, postdocs, and students every year. It remains true to its multidisciplinary vocation, an exemplary demonstration of the lasting power of collaboration and boldness.