Boyce Thompson Institute

What Boyce Thompson Institute does

Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) is an independent, nonprofit plant and molecular science research institution founded in 1924 by philanthropist William Boyce Thompson and relocated in 1978 to the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, NY, where it operates 13 independent laboratories and six core research facilities: the BTI Computational Biology Center, Center for Plant Biotechnology Research, Mass Spectrometry Facility, PhenoSight Phenotyping Facility, Plant Cell Imaging Center, and a 25,000 sq ft Plant Growth Facility with 20 greenhouses and 38 growth chambers. BTI's research spans biodiversity, food security, nutrition, resilience, productivity, and health, with notable discoveries including the modified Rubisco enzyme RbcS-STAR, nematode-derived ascaroside signaling molecules, and the watermelon super-pangenome. The institute generates revenue through federal and foundation research grants (USDA, DOE, NIH, NSF), fee-for-service plant transformation and microscopy services to academic and commercial users, technology licensing (including the Baculovirus Expression Vector System and High Five cell line), and philanthropic donations. BTI's translational program supports commercialization via licensing and startup formation, with affiliated ventures including Ascribe Bioscience ($12M Series A in 2025), PrecizionIQ, and CryoBio.

Name

Boyce Thompson Institute

Legal name

Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research

Website

https://btiscience.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Independent nonprofit plant science research institute on Cornell's Ithaca campus, conducting molecular and plant biology research, operating six core facilities, and funding operations through federal grants, fee-for-service work, licensing, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant Science Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Seed Production & Multiplication (Contract Growing, Foundation/Certified Seed) (AFABAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seed Quality Testing & Certification Support (Germination, Purity, Vigor) (AFAOADAK)

Keywords

• Plant science research
• Plant biotechnology services
• Molecular biology research
• Agricultural research
• Plant genetic resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: BTI receives funding through competitive research grants from federal agencies including USDA, DOE, NIH, and NSF, as well as foundation support. These grants fund specific research programs and projects.
2. Fee-for-Service Research Services: The Center for Plant Biotechnology Research provides plant transformation services on a fee basis for BTI researchers and external academic and commercial users.
3. Licensing and Commercialization: BTI licenses technologies and discoveries to commercial partners. Examples include the baculovirus expression vector system, patented insect virus genes, and plant transformation technologies.
4. Philanthropic Donations: BTI receives charitable contributions from individual donors, foundations, and corporate partners to support research programs and institutional priorities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Boyce Thompson Institute is an independent, nonprofit plant science research institution affiliated with Cornell University that conducts basic and applied research in plant and molecular sciences. It operates six core research facilities providing fee-based services including plant transformation, mass spectrometry, computational biology, phenotyping, microscopy, and plant growth. The institute also maintains genomic databases for plant research and runs a translational program that licenses technologies and supports startup formation.

Product overview

BTI operates as an independent, nonprofit plant science research institute affiliated with Cornell University, offering a comprehensive ecosystem of research services, specialized facilities, and genomic databases. The organization provides fee-based core facility services including computational biology, mass spectrometry, plant transformation, automated phenotyping, advanced microscopy, and greenhouse growth capabilities. BTI also develops and maintains specialized genomic databases including Sol Genomics Network, Breedbase, Tomato Functional Genomics Database, and Cucurbit Genomics Database for the global plant research community. The Translational Program supports commercialization through licensing of technologies like the High Five Cell Line and startup formation. Educational offerings include research internships and postgraduate training. The portfolio represents a unified platform of shared research infrastructure rather than discrete commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High Five Cell Line A proprietary insect cell line developed at BTI available for licensing to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for recombinant protein production, virus production, and biomanufacturing applications.
• BTI Computational Biology Center (BCBC) In-house bioinformatics hub providing computational infrastructure, training, and consulting services for genomic data analysis, supporting BTI researchers and collaborators with high-performance servers and storage for genomic data analysis.
• Mass Spectrometry Facility Analytical facility providing metabolomics and chemical analysis using state-of-the-art HPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS systems capable of high-resolution, high-sensitivity research in metabolomics, proteomics, and environmental science.
• Center for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR) Biotechnology center offering Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation services for tomato, potato, Nicotiana benthamiana, Medicago truncatula, and other plant species on a fee-based service basis.
• PhenoSight Phenotyping Facility Automated plant phenotyping facility with conveyor-based high-throughput imaging system capturing RGB, chlorophyll fluorescence, and multi-spectral imaging to track over 150 phenotypic traits in plants under various environmental conditions.
• Plant Cell Imaging Center (PCIC) Microscopy core providing access to high-resolution fluorescence microscopes including a Leica TCS SP5 laser scanning confocal microscope with spectral and quantitative imaging capabilities for plant cellular analysis.
• Plant Growth Facility 25,000 sq ft facility featuring 20 greenhouses and 38 growth chambers with automated climate control, supporting plant cultivation for research across controlled environments.
• Sol Genomics Network Comprehensive database compiling all genetic information known about solanaceous plants including tomato, petunia, and Nicotiana, providing genomic data and analytical tools for plant researchers.
• Breedbase Comprehensive breeding management and analysis software for crop improvement programs, supporting genomic selection and breeding data management.
• Tomato Functional Genomics Database Specialized database from the Fei Lab providing tomato genomic and transcriptomic data, epigenome information, and functional genomics tools for tomato research.
• Cucurbit Genomics Database Genomics database for cucurbit crops including watermelon, cucumber, and melon, providing genome sequences and functional annotations for breeding programs.
• CoGe Platform Comparative genomics platform providing an open-ended network of interconnected tools for managing, analyzing, and visualizing next-generation genomic data across species.
• Research Internships Summer research experience programs for undergraduate students providing hands-on training in plant science research at BTI facilities.
• Center for Translational Research Program focused on translating innovative research from the lab into practical applications, supporting startup formation, licensing, and industry partnerships.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 BTI faculty ranked in top 2% of most cited scientists worldwide (2024)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PrecizionIQminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026PrecizionIQ is an India-based health technology startup co-founded by BTI alumnus Pedro Rodrigues. The company is developing a non-invasive prenatal diagnostic test using mass spectrometry and AI-enhanced biomarker discovery. BTI's connection is through its alumni network and startup cultivation culture.
• University of Nebraska-LincolncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 December 2025UNL leads a $13.5 million, five-year DOE-funded research project to improve sorghum as a sustainable biofuel feedstock. The multi-institutional effort involves nine partner universities and research centers. BTI researchers are involved in studying plant-microbe interactions.
• Ascribe BiosciencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025Ascribe Bioscience, co-founded by BTI researchers Daniel Klessig and Frank Schroeder, closed a $12 million Series A financing co-led by Acre Venture Partners and Corteva to advance Phytalix, a natural crop protection product derived from nematode signaling molecules.
• CryoBiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025CryoBio was selected for FuzeHub's 2025 New York State Innovation Summit Commercialization Competition Award. CryoBio appears to be a BTI-affiliated startup.
• MeiogenixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BTI, Meiogenix, and FFAR announced a $2 million breakthrough tomato genetics collaboration to advance global food security through research on tomato genetic improvement.
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTI is an independent, nonprofit institution affiliated with Cornell University, located on its Ithaca campus. Many BTI research scientists hold faculty positions at Cornell in areas such as plant pathology, plant biology, entomology, plant breeding and genetics, and chemistry.
• RWTH Aachen UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTI collaborated with RWTH Aachen University to generate a chromosome scale genome assembly for Solanum lycopersicoides LA2951 using PacBio sequencing.
• US Fish & Wildlife ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBTI collaborated with US Fish & Wildlife Service to create a draft reference genome for Aconitum noveboracense, a federally threatened plant species native to North America.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Donald Danforth Plant Science Center: Independent nonprofit plant science research institute in St. Louis with a comparable mission in crop improvement, sustainable agriculture, and translational plant biotech. Operates core facilities and a similar discovery-to-startup pipeline.
• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: Independent nonprofit research institution in New York with a similar operating model combining basic research, graduate education, and translational outputs. Comparable in scale, funding mix (federal grants + philanthropy), and institutional structure.
• Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Independent nonprofit biological research institute in La Jolla with comparable governance (independent board, faculty-led), endowment model, and federal grant dependence. Similar in elite scientific reputation and faculty-citation metrics.
• Carnegie Institution for Science: Independent nonprofit research organization with a Department of Plant Biology that operates a similar model of fundamental plant science research, federal grant funding, and long-running breeding/genetics programs (e.g., maize, Arabidopsis).
• The Sainsbury Laboratory: Independent plant science research institute (Norwich, UK) focused on plant immunity and molecular plant-microbe interactions, overlapping directly with BTI's ascaroside and plant defense research. Similar translational pipeline and academic-commercial interface.
• J. Craig Venter Institute: Independent nonprofit research organization with genomics and synthetic biology focus. Comparable in deploying computational biology, genomic databases, and core facility services to academic and commercial clients.
• Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK): Public plant genetics research institute (Germany) operating one of the world's largest seed banks and crop genetics programs. Directly comparable to BTI's plant transformation services, germplasm research, and translational breeding mandate.
• Noble Research Institute: Independent nonprofit agricultural research institute focused on plant science, soil health, and producer-facing translational research. Operates with a similar mix of federal grants, philanthropy, and applied agricultural outputs.

Broad incumbents

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute: Largest nonprofit biomedical research organization, with HHMI Investigators embedded at universities (analogous to BTI's Cornell joint appointments). Comparable in funding scale, talent moat (citation leaders), and translational pipeline, though much larger and broader in scope.
• Wageningen University & Research: Largest plant and agricultural sciences research institution globally, with university + applied research institute structure. Overlaps with BTI's plant breeding, crop resilience, and sustainable agriculture focus, but is publicly funded and operates at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BTI_News
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boyce-thompson-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/bti_news

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Boyce Thompson Institute