What Baltimore Underground Science Space does

Baltimore Underground Science Space (BUGSS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community laboratory founded in 2012 and operating from a refurbished warehouse at 101 North Haven Street in Baltimore's Highlandtown neighborhood. The organization operates a Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) facility equipped for molecular biology and synthetic biology, including PCR machines (BioRad C1000, GeneAmp, Applied Biosystems 7500 real-time), gel electrophoresis and documentation systems, a biosafety cabinet, autoclaves, spectrophotometers, an Opentrons OT-2 liquid-handling robot, compound and fluorescent microscopes, multi-mode microplate readers, electroporators, and -70C freezer storage. BUGSS sells tiered membership subscriptions ranging from $25/month (Friend of BUGSS) to $500/month (YLB Entrepreneur with dedicated bench space), along with $10-$100 individual classes, $30 at-home experiment kits, and branded merchandise. Revenue is supplemented by tax-deductible donations and grants from Pathway Level sponsors (R.W. Deutsch Foundation, Becton Dickinson, VWR/Avantor Foundation) and project funders (Chesapeake Bay Trust, Baltimore City Department of Public Works, TEDCO).

BUGSS serves citizen scientists, high school and college students, biotech entrepreneurs, educators, and the general public. Its primary programs include the annual Baltimore BioCrew iGEM competition team (active since 2015, winning gold, silver, or bronze medals every year), the Open Insulin and Chromoproteins group research projects, the Barcoding the Harbor environmental DNA initiative with IMET/National Aquarium/Maryland Sea Grant, and science communication programming like Science SLAMs in partnership with Johns Hopkins Project Bridge. The organization's value proposition rests on democratizing access to professional-grade biotechnology equipment under documented DIY-Bio safety protocols co-developed with ABSA International, with explicit commitments to racial equity and serving Baltimore's Black and Latinx communities. Distribution runs through direct lab membership, Eventbrite class registration, kit e-commerce, and partnerships with Harbor Launch (joint memberships), Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, local school systems, and the national DIY-Bio network.

Name

Baltimore Underground Science Space

Legal name

Baltimore Underground Science Space

Website

https://bugssonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BUGSS is a Baltimore-based 501(c)(3) non-profit community laboratory providing tiered membership access to BSL-1 molecular biology equipment, educational courses, and group research projects. It serves citizen scientists, students (including iGEM teams since 2015), biotech entrepreneurs, and educators through subscriptions, classes, kits, and donor-funded programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: BUGSS generates primary revenue through tiered membership subscriptions: DIY Community membership at $100/month or $1,000/year, Student/Teacher membership at $45/month or $450/year, Friend of BUGSS at $25/month or $250/year. Power membership provides 24/7 lab access at $200/month or $2,400/year. Entrepreneur (YLB) membership offers dedicated bench space at $500/month or $6,000/year. Joint memberships with Harbor Launch partner available at premium pricing.
2. Educational Courses and Workshops: BUGSS offers individual classes and workshops for non-members and members at various price points: The ACTGs of Fruit at $12/student, Agar Art at $10/student, Bioluminescence at $15/student, Who Stole my Sweater at $25/student, At Home Microbiology at $55/student, iTune Device at $30/student, Molecular Biotechnology Boot Camp at $50-100/student, Golden Rice at $87/student.
3. Educational Kit Sales: BUGSS sells At Home Microbiology experiment kits directly to consumers at $30/kit plus 6% sales tax and $12 flat shipping. Kits include agar plates, algae samples, and materials for Winogradsky columns and microscopy activities.
4. Donations and Grants: BUGSS operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization accepting tax-deductible donations. Major donors include R.W. Deutsch Foundation, Becton Dickinson, VWR/Avantor Foundation at Pathway Level ($10,000+), and various corporate and individual donors at Gene Level ($1,000-$10,000). Funders for specific projects include Chesapeake Bay Trust and Baltimore City Department of Public Works.
5. Merchandise Sales: BUGSS sells branded merchandise including t-shirts. Donations of equipment and materials also accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BUGSS is a non-profit public community laboratory that provides tiered membership-based access to a fully equipped Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) wet lab space, alongside educational courses, workshops, and seminars covering molecular biology and synthetic biology. Members and students use professional equipment (PCR machines, gel electrophoresis, microscopes, Opentrons OT-2 robot, bioreactors, cold storage) for personal research, group projects, and startup development, while the organization also sells At Home Microbiology kits and runs programs like iGEM and Science SLAM.

Product overview

BUGSS (Baltimore Underground Science Space) is a non-profit community laboratory offering a portfolio of membership-based lab access services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include DIY Community Membership (volunteer-based), Student/Teacher Membership, Friend of BUGSS (basic discount tier), Power Membership (24/7 unrestricted access), and Your Lab Bench (YLB) Entrepreneur Membership (dedicated bench space for startups). Optional joint memberships with Harbor Launch add business incubator benefits. All memberships provide access to shared biotechnology lab equipment including PCR machines, gel electrophoresis, biosafety cabinets, autoclaves, microscopes, and the Opentrons OT-2 Robot. The organization also offers educational courses, workshops, seminars, and iGEM team participation as part of its programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DIY Community Membership Community membership providing open access to group projects, workshops, members-only courses, discounted open courses and materials, and facility access with member perks. Requires 5 volunteer hours per month. Priced at $100/month or $1,000/year.
• Student/Teacher Membership Discounted membership for students and teachers with full access to group projects, members-only courses, open courses, materials discounts, and facility access. Priced at $45/month or $450/year.
• Friend of BUGSS Membership Entry-level membership offering discounts on selected members-only courses, events, and merchandise. Priced at $25/month or $250/year.
• Power Membership Premium membership offering 24/7 lab access, business mailing address, on-site technical assistance, dedicated storage space (-20C and -70C freezers), established vendor accounts for supply ordering, free biohazard waste disposal, and use of common lab equipment without volunteer hour requirements. Priced at $200/month or $2,400/year.
• Your Lab Bench (YLB) Entrepreneur Membership Entrepreneur membership providing dedicated lab bench (2ft x 5ft), micropipettes (P20, P200, P1000), mini incubator, microcentrifuge, under-counter refrigerator, and 24/7 access to shared tissue culture hood, CO2 incubator, inverted microscope, and media refrigerator. No equity stake required. Priced at $500/month or $6,000/year.
• At Home Microbiology Kit At-home experiment kit containing agar plates, algae samples, and materials for Winogradsky columns and microscopy activities, enabling students to conduct microbiology experiments at home. Priced at $30/kit plus 6% sales tax and $12 flat shipping; class sets available for educators.
• Educational Courses and Workshops Individual classes and workshops for non-members and members covering CRISPR gene editing, agar art, bioluminescence, microbiology, molecular biotechnology boot camp, and synthetic biology topics. Prices range from $10/student (Agar Art) to $100/student (Molecular Biotechnology Boot Camp), with minimum group sizes of 6–8 students.
• Baltimore BioCrew iGEM Team Program Annual high school team program in which approximately 22 students participate in the international iGEM genetic engineering competition, conducting year-long synthetic biology research projects at BUGSS. Alumni have gained admission to Stanford, Brown, UPenn, UNC-Chapel Hill, and USC on full scholarships; the team has won gold, silver, or bronze medals every year since 2015.
• DIY-Bio Biosafety Bootcamp Three-day biosafety training event developed in collaboration with ABSA International for DIY-Bio community lab leaders and biohackers. Established safety best practices for the global DIY-Bio community and positioned BUGSS as a recognized biosafety leader.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals won at iGEM competition every year since 2015
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABSA International (Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019BUGSS hosted the inaugural biosafety bootcamp in August 2019, facilitated by professional biosafety officers from ABSA International. This partnership helped establish safety best practices for the DIY-Bio community and positioned BUGSS as a safety leader.
• Harbor Launch at IMETcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018BUGSS partnered with Harbor Launch, a startup incubator at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), to offer joint memberships. Joint members receive access to BUGSS wet lab space plus Harbor Launch's affiliates program including business advising. Special joint rates are $150/month per membership ($300 combined). This partnership supports biotech entrepreneurs by combining lab infrastructure with business incubation services.
• Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUGSS participates in the Collaborative Teaching Fellows Program in conjunction with Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland School of Medicine. This program enables scientists, artists, and experts to teach courses at BUGSS with mentorship and professional development. The partnership also includes Project Bridge for Science SLAM events.
• IMET (Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUGSS collaborates with IMET on the Barcoding the Harbor project and hosts iGEM team meetings. IMET provides research facilities and expertise that complement BUGSS's community lab mission.
• National AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Aquarium is a key partner in the Barcoding the Harbor project, collaborating with BUGSS and IMET to study and improve the health of Baltimore's Inner Harbor through environmental DNA analysis.
• Maryland Sea GrantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland Sea Grant partners with BUGSS on the Barcoding the Harbor project to study marine and environmental conditions in the Chesapeake Bay region.
• BioeyescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUGSS collaborated with Bioeyes and the Carnegie Institution for Science to develop the At Home Microbiology course during the COVID-19 pandemic. The course teaches students about microbes through experiments they can conduct at home, with materials kits available through BUGSS.
• Build-a-Genome Network (NSF-funded)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUGSS's Chromoprotein project is part of the NSF-funded Build-a-Genome network (QubesHub). This collaboration uses synthetic biology tools to introduce new proteins and biochemical pathways into cells as part of a larger educational and research network.
• Open Insulin FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUGSS participates in the Open Insulin Project, creating an open-source model for insulin production. This project aligns with the Open Insulin Foundation's mission to make insulin accessible and affordable through open science.
• DIYBio Network (sphere.diybio.org)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUGSS is part of the national and international DIY-Bio movement, partnering with other community labs around the world to democratize biology. The organization adheres to the DIY-Bio Code of Ethics and shares safety practices with the network.
• GenspaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenspace, a community lab in New York, partnered with BUGSS for the 2025 iGEM competition (returning from hiatus since 2016). This collaboration expands the East Coast BioCrew team beyond Baltimore.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SoundBio Lab: SoundBio Lab is a Seattle-area DIY-Bio community laboratory offering shared lab space, classes, and citizen-science projects — a peer with similar scale, mission, and BSL-1 access model.
• Genspace: Genspace is a New York-based nonprofit community biology lab offering shared lab access, classes, and public biotech programming — the closest peer to BUGSS, with whom BUGSS has even partnered for the 2025 iGEM team.
• Biotech Without Borders: Biotech Without Borders is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit community lab with shared equipment, classes, and open-science projects — a direct peer in the DIY-Bio safety-focused community lab movement.
• BioCurious: BioCurious is a Silicon Valley community biotech laboratory offering BSL-rated lab access, classes, and incubator space to citizen scientists — a foundational peer in the DIY-Bio network with a comparable membership and education model.
• Counter Culture Labs: Counter Culture Labs is an Oakland, CA community lab providing shared biotech equipment, training, and open-science projects — closely mirrors BUGSS's BSL-1 access model and open-research ethos (Open Insulin project partner).

Others

• Open Insulin Foundation: Open Insulin Foundation is the open-source insulin project that BUGSS participates in — adjacent mission-aligned organization, not a direct competitor but a key project collaborator.
• Harbor Launch at IMET: Harbor Launch is BUGSS's co-marketing partner, a Baltimore biotech startup incubator offering business advising to complement wet-lab access — a partner rather than competitor but comparable in serving early-stage founders.

Broad incumbents

• Cold Spring Harbor DNA Learning Center: CSHL DNA Learning Center is an established, well-funded science education organization with wet-lab student programs and teacher training — a much larger incumbent in the same biotech-education space.

Emerging players

• The Lab (San Francisco): The Lab is a San Francisco community bioscience makerspace focused on hands-on biology education and equipment access — comparable in mission though smaller and more education-focused than BUGSS.
• BioBus: BioBus operates mobile science labs and community lab programming in New York focused on K-12 and public engagement — comparable mission of biotech access/education but delivered through a mobile model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bugsslab
• Facebookfacebook.com/BUGSS-Baltimore-Under-Ground-Science-Space
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baltimore-underground-science-space

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Baltimore Underground Science Space