Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

What Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology does

The Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) is a multidisciplinary research institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that operates across 16 research themes spanning genomic science, health, technology, and agriculture. The institute employs more than 125 faculty members working alongside hundreds of trainees, with a research portfolio that covers cancer biology, infectious disease, neuroscience, bioenergy, and computational biology. Its outputs include peer-reviewed publications, trained personnel, intellectual property, licensed technologies, and commercial spin-outs such as Epivara. IGB also serves as the institutional home of the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL), which received a National Cancer Institute Basic Cancer Center designation in April 2026, the eighth such designation in the United States and the first new one in nearly 40 years.

IGB's core technical capabilities are organized around proprietary platforms and methods. Notable technologies include DNA aptamer-based biosensors, the NanoGripper (a DNA-based robotic gripper), three-dimensional tumor models, and the GIS-ROTA spatial transcriptomics framework, which combines geospatial analysis with molecular library decoding to map gene expression in tissue at high resolution. The institute operates the newly established Center for Artificial Intelligence and Modeling (CAIM) and the Center for Indigenous Science, both representing recent thematic expansions, and runs programs such as the Voices of Cancer community engagement initiative. The NCI designation anchors a major cancer research program, and collaborations with external organizations such as the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub extend the institute's reach into broader biomedical research networks.

The institute's revenue model is characteristic of a state-affiliated research enterprise. Funding flows from federal grants awarded by the NIH, NSF, and USDA, supplemented by direct university allocation, philanthropic gifts, and licensing income from spun-out intellectual property. The institute does not sell commercial products directly, with the exception of equity-backed spin-off companies such as Epivara, which has raised approximately $6 million from private investors based on IGB-originated animal sterilization technology. The NCI designation introduces new federal contract revenue tied to cancer center operations, while international events such as the First International Miscanthus Summit signal growing bioenergy and bioeconomy networks. The institute does not publish detailed financials, and revenue is best understood as an aggregated federal-grant-funded operating budget rather than commercial sales.

Name

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Legal name

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Website

https://igb.illinois.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology is a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research institute operating 16 genomic science themes across health, technology, and agriculture, employing 125+ faculty and recently earning NCI cancer center designation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Genomic Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Nanotechnology (541713), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Genomics & Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Services (HLAGANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical & Translational Informatics (Clinical Data Integration/Real-World Data for R&D) (HLAGAJAF), Molecular Diagnostics & Genomics Laboratories (HLAFAMAE), Real-World Data (RWD) / Real-World Evidence (RWE) & Observational Research Platforms (HLACAOAM)

Keywords

• Genomic biology research
• Cancer center research
• Molecular engineering studies
• Genomics education programs
• Scientific public outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbana

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, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: Primary funding from NIH, NSF, and USDA grants supporting individual research projects and centers
2. University Support: Institutional funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for infrastructure and operations
3. Private Philanthropy: Donations through the Give program supporting research and fellowships
4. Technology Commercialization: Licensing revenues and spinout companies like Epivara commercializing research discoveries

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) is an academic research institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that conducts team-based, interdisciplinary genomic research across 16 research themes spanning Health & Wellness, Technology & Society, and Agriculture & Energy. It operates the NCI-designated Cancer Center at Illinois, delivers MOOCs and outreach programs, and commercializes discoveries via spin-offs such as Epivara.

Product overview

The Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) is a research institute, not a commercial product company. Its offerings consist of research programs, technologies developed through research, educational programs, and public engagement initiatives. The main offerings include the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL), a NCI-designated Basic Cancer Center; Epivara, a spin-off company commercializing nonsurgical animal sterilization technology; research frameworks like GIS-ROTA for spatial tumor mapping and NanoGripper DNA nanorobotics; drug-delivering DNA aptamers for cancer treatment; educational programs including MOOCs (Genomics for Law, Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life, Emergence of Life) and professional development workshops; and public engagement programs including the Outreach Certificate Program, Science on Tap, and Art of Science exhibitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL): Cross-disciplinary cancer research center at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign focused on merging oncology, engineering, and basic science
• Epivara

Products and services

• Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) Cross-disciplinary cancer research center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that merges oncology, engineering, and modern science; designated as a Basic Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute in 2026.
• Epivara Nonsurgical Sterilization Products (iSpay, iNeuter, iNeuter-S) Spin-off company commercializing nonsurgical sterilization technology for animals, delivering hormones through biodegradable pellets for dogs, cats (iSpay, iNeuter), and boars (iNeuter-S).
• GIS-ROTA (Geographic Information System-Augmented Spatial Transcriptomics) Computational framework combining geographic mapping techniques with gene expression analysis to map biological activity and spatial relationships within tumors for cancer research.
• NanoGripper DNA Nanorobotic Hand Four-fingered nanorobotic hand folded from a single piece of DNA with three joints per finger, capable of grasping viruses for detection and blocking viral entry into cells.
• Drug-Delivering DNA Aptamers for Cancer Stem Cells Drug-carrying DNA aptamers that deliver targeted treatment such as daunorubicin to leukemia and cancer stem cells with up to 500x improved potency.
• Tumor Engineering and Phenotyping (TEP) Laboratory Research support facility within CCIL providing specialized equipment including Seahorse Analyzer for metabolic pathway analysis in 3D cell cultures and hydrogel-based tumor modeling.
• Genomics for Law MOOC Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in partnership with the College of Law providing a framework to review the history and basics of genomics research and explore interactions with law, including criminal law, forensic genomics, and privacy.
• Genomics: Decoding the Universal Language of Life MOOC Beginner-level MOOC containing six weeks of study covering how genes work, microbial roles, DNA sequencing for health risk prediction, and genetically modified plants.
• Emergence of Life MOOC Eight-week course through the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth within the context of the modern Tree of Life, based on Carl R. Woese's pioneering work on universal structure and evolutionary relatedness of living entities.
• Outreach Certificate Program Program enabling University of Illinois students and research trainees to formalize science-related public engagement experiences by earning a certificate through 16 hours of volunteering and two training sessions.
• Professional Skills for Careers in Biosciences (PSCB) Workshop Series Workshop series for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers that enhances universal job skills including communication, professionalism, marketing, budgeting, and leadership.
• Undergraduate Research Showcase Annual platform for undergraduates working in IGB-affiliated laboratories to share their research, with awards for Best Overall, Most Innovative, and Most Interdisciplinary Presentation.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Carle Illinois College of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Clinical collaboration between Cancer Center at Illinois researchers and Carle Illinois College of Medicine clinicians. Enables translation of laboratory discoveries into clinical applications, with joint research on tumor architecture and cancer treatment. Dr. Maria Grosse Perdekamp serves as Clinical Assistant Professor involved in breast cancer research collaboration.
• National Cancer InstitutecoreOthers · 1 March 2026NCI designated Cancer Center at Illinois as a Basic Cancer Center, providing multi-year support to expand research capacity and accelerate translation of laboratory findings. CCIL is 1 of only 8 NCI-designated Basic Cancer Centers nationwide.
• Chan Zuckerberg Biohub ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNash Kalsotra is a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago Investigator, conducting research on liver maturation and regenerative medicine. The Biohub supports interdisciplinary research collaboration.
• University of PittsburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on liver maturation and polyploidization, with Frances Alencastro and Andrew W. Duncan from University of Pittsburgh contributing to the study.
• Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerXing Wang and Brian Cunningham are affiliated with the Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Lab at U. of I., collaborating on nanorobotic hand and biosensing technologies.
• Brian Cunningham (Electrical and Computer Engineering)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Xing Wang's team to develop NanoGripper COVID-19 sensor by coupling NanoGripper with photonic crystal sensor platform for rapid virus detection.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Broad Institute: Joint Harvard-MIT genomic medicine and biological research institute. Most direct peer given its focus on genomic research, cancer genomics, and large-scale computational biology, competing for similar federal grants, faculty talent, and industry partnerships.
• Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: MIT-affiliated biomedical research institute focused on genomics, cancer biology, and developmental biology. Comparable in its university-affiliated model, faculty-driven research structure, and emphasis on fundamental science with translational potential.
• J. Craig Venter Institute: Genomics research institute founded by a pioneer of the Human Genome Project. Comparable in its core focus on genomic sequencing, synthetic biology, and translational research applications in health and environment.
• Jackson Laboratory: Independent genetics and genomics research institute with NCI-designated Cancer Center. Direct peer in mammalian genetics, cancer genomics, and the model of an NCI-designated research center producing both research output and translational resources.
• HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology: Genomics research institute combining research, clinical diagnostics, and educational outreach. Comparable in its multi-mission approach spanning genomic research, clinical applications, and public engagement.
• Allen Institute: Large-scale research institute with divisions in brain science, cell science, and immunology. Comparable as a privately funded research organization producing open scientific resources and employing team-based science approaches.
• New York Genome Center: Collaborative genomic research center serving multiple academic and industry members. Comparable as a shared genomic research facility combining academic research, computational genomics, and clinical translation efforts.

Broad incumbents

• Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Independent biological research institute with broader life sciences scope. Comparable in its university-adjacent independent research institute model, faculty-driven fundamental science, and emphasis on cancer, neuroscience, and plant biology.
• Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: Cancer research and neuroscience institute with NCI-designated Cancer Center. Comparable as an NCI-designated research center with strong educational programs and a model for translating basic research into clinical applications.

Emerging players

• Chan Zuckerberg Biohub: Biomedical research organization funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Comparable as a newer, well-funded research entity using interdisciplinary team science approaches, and a direct collaborator with IGB through the Chicago Biohub.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/igbillinois
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IGBIllinois
• Facebookfacebook.com/IGBIllinois
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/igbillinois
• Instagraminstagram.com/igbillinois

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology