EBRC

What EBRC does

EBRC (Engineering Biology Research Consortium) is a non-profit, public-private partnership headquartered in Emeryville, California, founded in 2015 by members of the NSF-funded Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC) to advance engineering biology in the United States. The organization operates as a member-driven consortium bringing together academic researchers, industry participants, and government stakeholders to coordinate field-level strategy across four focus areas: Research Roadmapping, Education, Security, and Policy & International Engagement. EBRC's core outputs are interactive technical research roadmaps (covering Engineering Biology, Climate & Sustainability, Materials Science, Microbiome Engineering, Defense Applications, and Space Health), policy and standards reports (including work with NIST on bioeconomy metrics and nucleic acid synthesis screening), and community-building programs such as the Student & Postdoc Association (SPA) and the Global Forum series. Membership spans ~50 Council members and 200+ SPA participants, with named industry members ranging from startups to large biotech and consumer-goods firms including Twist Bioscience, LanzaTech, BASF, Ginkgo Bioworks, Procter & Gamble, and Draper.

Name

EBRC

Legal name

Engineering Biology Research Consortium

Website

https://ebrc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EBRC is a non-profit, public-private partnership advancing engineering biology through member-driven technical roadmaps, policy work, and security standards, serving academic researchers, biotech industry members, and federal agencies including NSF and NIST.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Synthetic Biology Research Consortium

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Professional Organizations (813920), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Policy Management, Training & Ethics/Whistleblowing (BPAEAPAI), Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)

Keywords

• Engineering biology research
• Synthetic biology consortium
• Biosecurity standards development
• Bioeconomy policy advocacy
• Biotechnology education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Emeryville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Industry & Organizational Membership Dues: Annual membership dues paid by companies and organizations based on size. Dues range from $1,000 for 1-5 employees to $30,000 for 500+ employees. Non-profits and institutions outside biotechnology may be eligible for reduced dues.
2. Government Grants and Cooperative Agreements: EBRC activities are supported by grants and cooperative agreements with various government agencies including NSF, NIST, DOE, DOS, and others. EBRC is a US-based, public-private partnership that receives grant support from the US Government.
3. Event Registration Fees: EBRC charges nominal fees for Annual Meeting attendance to offset meal costs, with travel support provided for speakers, session chairs, and board members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

EBRC is a non-profit, public-private partnership that convenes an inclusive community of academic researchers, industry companies, students, and government agencies to advance engineering biology (synthetic biology) in the United States. Its core offerings consist of member-led working groups that produce technical research roadmaps, biosecurity and technical standards reports, policy papers, education programs, and international forums that shape the national agenda for engineering biology. Revenue is generated through tiered industry/organizational membership dues, U.S. government grants and cooperative agreements, event registration fees, and donations.

Product overview

EBRC (Engineering Biology Research Consortium) is a non-profit public-private partnership offering a portfolio of programs and services rather than a single unified software product. The core offerings include: technical research roadmaps (interactive websites and PDFs covering space health, climate sustainability, materials science, microbiome engineering, and defense applications) accessible via roadmap.ebrc.org; the Student & Postdoc Association (SPA) providing community, mentorship, and internship programs; Community BioFutures for public engagement; EBRsee for podcasts and educational content; Curriculum Modules for teaching; and the Global Forum for international convenings. EBRC also publishes policy papers, issue papers, and technical reports covering security, education, workforce development, and bioeconomy policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EBRsee: Home for podcasts, videos, and other content on tools, technologies, and careers in engineering biology aimed at increasing public awareness and engagement.
• Student & Postdoc Association (SPA)
• Community BioFutures
• BIoSecurity Opportunities Nexus (BISON)

Products and services

• EBRC Technical Research Roadmaps Technical research roadmaps identifying priority areas for engineering biology research over the next two decades, published as interactive websites and PDFs covering space health, climate sustainability, materials science, microbiome engineering, and defense applications. Aimed at the engineering biology research community, industry, and government stakeholders.
• Student & Postdoc Association (SPA) Community organization for graduate students and postdocs doing work relevant to synthetic biology at U.S. and international academic or non-profit institutions. Offers mentorship programs, industry internships, networking events, SPA events, workshops, and opportunities to participate in EBRC roadmapping activities.
• Community BioFutures Initiative to build bioliteracy and engagement in the U.S. bioeconomy by empowering stakeholders and strengthening local bioeconomies through a national networking and resources infrastructure. Targeted at public stakeholders and local bioeconomy participants.
• EBRsee Podcast and Video Content EBRC's home for podcasts, videos, and other content on tools, technologies, and careers in engineering biology aimed at increasing public awareness and engagement.
• Curriculum Modules Teaching materials for course instructors including dynamic classwork, lab protocols, data analysis, homework, reading and recitation materials, and quiz and exam resources for teaching engineering biology. Targeted at academic instructors.
• Global Forum for Engineering Biology International convenings bringing together leaders from government, academia, industry, and nonprofit organizations to exchange perspectives on the future direction of engineering biology and identify areas for international cooperation.
• EBRC Mentorship Program Program linking students and postdocs with EBRC industry and government partners to provide career support, professional guidance, and research networking, particularly for those interested in careers outside of academia.
• EBRC Industry Internship Program Program providing internship opportunities for graduate students and postdocs with EBRC industry partners to gain professional experience in the engineering biology field.
• EBRC Publications (Policy Papers, Issue Papers, Technical Reports) Collection of policy papers, issue papers, technical reports, and roadmap documents covering engineering biology research, security, education, workforce development, and bioeconomy policy. Targeted at policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders.
• EBRC SPA Mentorship for Undergraduate and Masters Students (EMUMS) Program Program providing undergraduates and masters students with mentorship and networking opportunities with current engineering biology PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.
• BIoSecurity Opportunities Nexus (BISON) Compilation of student and postdoc-relevant biosecurity opportunities including graduate and postdoc academic programs, scholarships, fellowships, and internships, covering both international and domestic (US) opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• EBRC brought 200 stakeholders together across government, academia, industry, and civil society for nucleic acid synthesis screening workshops
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Science Foundation (NSF) - CFIRE InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2025EBRC is collaborating on NSF's CFIRE (Advancing Cell-Free Systems Toward Increased Range of Use-Inspired Applications) program, a $32.4 million initiative supporting four research teams to transform cell-free engineering. EBRC partners include University of Tennessee, Knoxville, University of Michigan, Georgia Institute of Technology, b.next, University of Minnesota, Tulane University, exozYmes, and Roke Biotechnologies to develop standards and metrics for cell-free technology adoption and scalability.
• National Science Foundation (NSF) - USPRD ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 August 2025EBRC is collaborating on NSF's Use-Inspired Acceleration of Protein Design (USPRD) program to advance new approaches in protein design. Partners include Ginkgo Bioworks, Koliber Bio, University of California San Francisco, Stony Brook University, and Sepia Biosciences to unlock powerful applications for the bioeconomy.
• Global Center for Biofoundry Applications (GCBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024EBRC is a co-lead partner in GCBA, awarded funding in October 2024 as part of the NSF Global Centers for Use-Inspired Research program. GCBA will establish global standards for biofoundries to enhance scalability and impact, with frameworks for ethics, governance, public engagement, and workforce development. The initiative brings together over 30 investigators from five countries and seven leading biofoundries including iBioFAB, Agile BioFoundry, Living Measurement Systems Foundry at NIST, London Biofoundry, FinBioFAB, Kobe BioFoundry, and Korea Biofoundry.
• NASA Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA TRISH supported the development of EBRC's Engineering Biology for Space Health roadmap, providing funding and guidance for research on engineering biology solutions for human health during space exploration missions.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIST partnered with EBRC on the Engineering Biology Metrics and Technical Standards for the Global Bioeconomy report (May 2024), coordinated by Imperial College London with support from Schmidt Sciences and National University of Singapore. NIST is also a partner in the Global Center for Biofoundry Applications with the Living Measurement Systems Foundry.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) - Nucleic Acid SynthesiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEBRC developed the 'Strengthening a Safe and Secure Nucleic Acid Synthesis Ecosystem' report in cooperation with NIST. During 2024, EBRC brought 200 stakeholders together across government, academia, industry, and civil society in workshops to consider key aspects of nucleic acid synthesis screening, including Sequence of Concern database development and conformity assessment.
• International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartneriGEM is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC, with Marilene Pavan from iGEM serving as Director of Technology on the Roadmapping Working Group.
• MITRE CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMITRE is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC, with John Dileo serving as Council Member representing the organization.
• Teselagen BiotechnologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeselagen Biotechnology is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC, participating in the engineering biology research community.
• DraperminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDraper is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC, participating in the engineering biology research community.
• International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBBIS is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC, with Piers Millett serving as Council Member.
• BioBuilder Educational FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioBuilder is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC, with Chloe Franklin serving as Council Member.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of FinlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVTT is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC, with Jussi Jantti serving as Council Member. VTT is also a partner in the Global Center for Biofoundry Applications through FinBioFAB.
• Procter & GambleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProcter & Gamble is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC, with Jose Carlos Garcia-Garcia serving as Council Member.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO): BIO is the largest US biotech industry trade association, representing companies across all biotech sectors. It is comparable to EBRC in operating as a member-driven industry organization with policy advocacy, events, and standards work, though its scope is far broader than engineering biology.

Direct peers

• BioMADE (Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Development Ecosystem): BioMADE is a US Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institute and public-private partnership focused on bioindustrial manufacturing. It shares EBRC's non-profit consortium model, federal funding base, Industry & Academic Members, and roadmap/standards development mission, though focused on manufacturing scale-up rather than upstream research.
• SynBioBeta: SynBioBeta is the leading synthetic biology industry network and event platform. It is highly comparable to EBRC because both convene the engineering biology community through events, content, and member engagement, though SynBioBeta is a for-profit media/events company and EBRC is a non-profit research consortium.
• iGEM Foundation: iGEM is an Industry & Organizational Member of EBRC and operates a global synthetic biology competition and community. It is highly comparable to EBRC because both focus on the engineering biology community, student engagement, and standards/policy work, though iGEM is more competition- and education-focused.
• ARM (Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute): ARM is a Manufacturing USA institute operating under a similar public-private partnership, member-driven model as EBRC. While focused on regenerative medicine biomanufacturing rather than engineering biology, both are federally supported non-profit consortia that convene industry, academia, and government around shared roadmaps and standards.

Regional players

• Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC): IBioIC is a UK-based innovation center for industrial biotechnology that convenes industry and academia through funded programs and roadmaps. It is comparable to EBRC in mission and consortium model but serves a different geography (Scotland/UK) rather than the US.
• Engineering Biology for Wales (EBW): EBW is a regional engineering biology consortium in Wales that mirrors EBRC's member-driven public-private partnership model for advancing synthetic biology. It is comparable as a peer because it focuses on the same field but operates in a specific geography rather than nationally like EBRC.

Others

• Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program - NSF: The NSF Engineering Research Centers program is the legacy federal program that funded SynBERC, EBRC's predecessor. ERCs share EBRC's academic-industry-government partnership structure, roadmap-driven research, and education mission, though they are NSF-funded university centers rather than independent non-profits.
• Schmidt Sciences Bioeconomy Programs: Schmidt Sciences is a major philanthropic funder that supported EBRC's Engineering Biology Metrics and Technical Standards report. It is thematically comparable as an adjacent funder shaping the engineering biology field through grants, standards work, and bioeconomy policy investment, though it is a foundation rather than a member-driven consortium.
• BIO International Convention / Council of State Bioscience Associations: State and regional bioscience associations under BIO's umbrella serve a similar member-driven convening and policy advocacy role for the biotech ecosystem as EBRC, though focused on geographic representation rather than engineering biology specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC82AH8hEFsV0exAyZ5RuEzw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/engbiorc
• Xx.com/engbiorc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about EBRC