Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

What Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences does

The Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS, 中国科学院微生物研究所) is a national research institute headquartered in Chaoyang District, Beijing, founded December 3, 1958 through the merger of the Chinese Academy of Applied Mycology and the Beijing Microbiology Research Office. It operates under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and is wholly government-owned; it is not publicly traded. IMCAS conducts research across three domains — microbial resources, microbial biotechnology, and pathogenic microbiology & immunology — supported by specialized platforms including CGMCC (China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center, holding 15,500+ microbial species and 115,000+ strains), the National Microbiology Data Center (NMDC), the World Data Center for Microorganisms (WDCM, hosting 6PB+ of data from 878 institutions across 80 countries), and the BSL-3/ABSL-3 Biosafety and Animal Research Platform.

The institute's outputs span peer-reviewed science (including publications in Nature, Science, and Cell), proprietary biological materials and platforms, technology licensing, and academic publishing through seven in-house journals (mLife, hLife, Mycology, Acta Microbiologica Sinica, Microbiology China, Chinese Journal of Biotechnology, and one additional). Notable productized outputs include the recombinant subunit protein COVID-19 vaccine co-developed with Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical (first globally approved in 2021), a fully human monoclonal antibody against COVID-19, baiweimectin nematicide biomanufacturing technology with Hebei Xingbai Pharmaceutical, and high-efficiency L-homoserine production processes. As of end-2025, IMCAS had 429 staff (253 researchers, 90% with PhDs) distributed across 88 research groups.

IMCAS's business model is government-anchored: core operating funding flows from CAS and national government allocations, supplemented by competitive grants, technology-transfer and licensing revenues, and service fees from CGMCC strain distribution and biosafety facility access. Its customer base spans academic research institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, agricultural sector partners, and government health agencies in China and internationally (including collaborations in Japan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Russia, Nigeria, and Belarus). International research cooperation is delivered via joint laboratories (China-Japan, China-Thailand, China-Uzbekistan, Sino-Russian COVID Joint Research Centre) and the CAS-TWAS Centres of Excellence for Biotechnology and for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEEID), which has an international branch in Brazil.

Name

Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Legal name

Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Website

https://im.cas.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS), founded in 1958 and headquartered in Beijing, is a Chinese government research institute conducting microbiology research across microbial resources, biotechnology, and pathogenic microbiology, serving academic, pharmaceutical, agricultural, and public-health partners nationally and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbiology Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbiology & Sterility Assurance (Bioburden/Endotoxin/Sterility) (HLAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microbiome Analytics, Sequencing & Bioinformatics Platforms (HLAAAFAI), Microbiological Reference Cultures, Strains & Controls (Food Micro) (AFALAKAF), Microbiology & Infectious Disease Diagnostics (culture, rapid antigen, syndromic panels) (HLAAALAC), Infectious Disease & Pandemic Preparedness Vaccines (emerging pathogens) (HLAAAEAC), Microbiome Manufacturing, Formulation & Delivery Technologies (encapsulation, spores, oral delivery) (HLAAAFAJ)

Keywords

• Microbial resource preservation
• Pathogenic microbiology research
• Biotechnology technology transfer
• Academic scientific publishing
• Public health research

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Research Funding: Core operational funding from Chinese Academy of Sciences and national government for basic and applied microbiology research.
2. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Commercialization of research outcomes through technology licensing, patent licensing, and collaborative development with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
3. Microbial Strain and Biological Material Sales: CGMCC provides microbial strains, biological materials, and related technical services to research institutions and industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IMCAS operates as China's national research institute for microbiological sciences, conducting basic and applied research across three core domains: microbial resource preservation and utilization, microbial biotechnology, and pathogenic microbiology and immunology. It delivers outputs through microbial culture supply services (CGMCC), national and global microbiology data platforms (NMDC and WDCM), BSL-3 biosafety laboratory services, peer-reviewed scientific journals, technology transfer of patented inventions (e.g. vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, biopesticides, recombinant proteins), and graduate education programs.

Product overview

The Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences operates as a research institution rather than a traditional product company. Its primary offerings include scientific data platforms (National Microbiology Data Center, World Data Center for Microorganisms), microbial resource preservation services (CGMCC), and academic publications (mLife, hLife, 微生物学报, 微生物学通报, 生物工程学报, 菌物学报). The institute also provides shared technology platforms including biosafety facilities (P3 laboratory), technology transfer services, and international collaboration centers for emerging infectious diseases research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Microbiology Data Center (国家微生物科学数据中心) A national public welfare platform dedicated to microbial resource preservation, sharing, and sustainable utilization. It provides data services including microbial genomic, metagenomic, and pathogen databases for life science research, biotechnology innovation, and industrial development.
• China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center (CGMCC) A non-profit organization financed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, serving as the earliest microbial resource collection and sharing center in China. Maintains over 15,500 microbial species (encompassing more than 115,000 strains) and over 35,000 strains of culturable biological materials for patent-related purposes.
• Biosafety and Animal Research Platform (BSL-3/ABSL-3) P3-level biosafety laboratory platform providing biosafety risk assessment and technical support for high-consequence pathogen research. The first P3 laboratory in China built according to GB19489:2008 standards, serving as a biosecurity platform for the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• World Data Center for Microorganisms (WDCM) Established in 1966, serves as the global hub for microbial resource data management under the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC) and UNESCO's MIRCEN. Hosts over 6PB of data from 878 institutions across 80 countries.
• Technology Transfer Center (技术转移转化中心) Platform supporting the transfer and commercialization of research achievements, facilitating industry-academia-research collaboration and technology industrialization.
• Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities Shared technology platform providing centralized access to advanced research equipment and technical services for institute researchers and external collaborators.
• CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEEID) International collaboration platform organized by CAS and TWAS, offering researchers from developing countries an integrated platform for studying emerging infectious diseases.
• mLife Academic Journal China's first comprehensive high-level English-language journal in microbiology, published by IMCAS, targeting global high-level microbiology research and advances across the discipline.
• hLife Academic Journal A comprehensive English-language journal in health sciences, co-published by IMCAS with support from the Chinese Society of Biotechnology and Shanghai Institute of Immunity, in cooperation with international publisher Elsevier.
• Graduate Education Programs (Microbiology, Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) Master's and doctoral degree programs in Microbiology, Genetics, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, plus a postdoctoral research station; IMCAS is among the first research units authorized by the State Council to confer graduate degrees.

Quantifiable outcome

• First approved COVID-19 recombinant protein vaccine globally (2021)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chinese Academy of Sciences - Southeast Asian Biodiversity Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Collaborative avian influenza virus surveillance and genetic diversity research with Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Discovery of novel H9N2 virus evolutionary branches and cross-border transmission risk assessment.
• Einstein Hospital Israelita (Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026CEEID delegation visit to explore collaboration on emerging infectious diseases, joint clinical research frameworks, rapid response capacity building, and bilateral data sharing platform.
• Mechnikov Vaccine & Serum Institute of Russian Academy of Medical SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020MoU signed for joint establishment of Sino-Russian Novel Coronavirus Joint Research Centre/Joint Laboratory. Cooperative pathogenic biology, immunology research, and microbiology data platform development.
• China-Japan Joint Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Molecular MicrobiologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research facility for molecular immunology and molecular microbiology between IMCAS and Japanese partner institutions.
• China-Thailand Laboratory on Microbial BiotechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint laboratory established with Thailand for microbial biotechnology research collaboration.
• China-Uzbekistan Joint Laboratory on Microbial Resource & BiotechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint laboratory for microbial resource and biotechnology research with Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences.
• CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Biotechnology (COEBIO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcellence center organized by CAS and TWAS offering opportunities for researchers from developing countries.
• CAS-TWAS Centre of Excellence for Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEEID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational center for emerging infectious disease research with global network. International branch established in Brazil June 2019.
• Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint chikungunya research published in Cell. Joint Zika virus testing paper cooperation. Brazil branch of CEEID established.
• Belarus Academy of SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegation exchange visit to explore microbiology research collaboration.
• Anhui Zhifei Longcom BiopharmaceuticalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of COVID-19 recombinant protein vaccine candidate. First approved recombinant protein vaccine globally.
• Beijing Chest HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborative tuberculosis research projects including immune mechanisms, granuloma studies, and NK cell exhaustion research.
• Hebei Xingbai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Baiweimectin nematicide biomanufacturing technology development using SMARTS platform.
• Lanzhou UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch exchange and collaboration visit.
• Guangxi UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident Xiao Jianzhuang delegation visit for research exchange.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Institut Pasteur: Historic French national research institute for infectious disease and microbiology, with comparable BSL facilities, vaccine development history, global network of partner institutes, and culture collection capabilities. Analogous mission as a state-backed infectious disease research institution.
• Broad Institute: Major biomedical and genomic research institute with comparable scale (~thousands of researchers), infectious disease programs, and microbiome research capabilities. Peer as a leading large-scale, well-funded research organization driving biological data and translational science.
• ATCC (American Type Culture Collection): The world's largest biological resource center with a comparable global culture collection mission to IMCAS's CGMCC. Comparable reference organism and strain supply services, biosafety-certified facilities, and global distribution network; broadly larger scale but similar core function.

Direct peers

• DSMZ (Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures): Germany's premier microbial culture collection, a non-profit culture collection with comparable strain preservation, patent deposit, and microbial resource services. Highly comparable peer in biological resource center operations, serving global research institutions.
• Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology: German national research institute for infection biology with comparable BSL facilities, immunology, microbiology research, and pathogenic microbiology focus. Direct peer in academic infectious disease research and international collaboration patterns.
• Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences: Sister CAS institute also conducting high-level pathogen research with BSL-4 and BSL-3 capabilities. Most direct national peer in microbiology and infectious disease research under the same CAS parent, with overlapping vaccine development, biosafety infrastructure, and strain collection activities.
• Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, CAS: CAS sister institute also publishing the hLife journal with IMCAS and conducting immunology and infectious disease research. Direct peer in pathogenic microbiology and immunology, sharing joint publications and overlapping research themes.

Regional players

• Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: China's national public health agency and a key IMCAS collaboration partner (joint COVID-19 genome sequencing). Operates complementary pathogen surveillance and outbreak response capabilities; regional public-sector peer with overlapping infectious disease research activities.
• Fiocruz (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation): Brazilian public health and research institution that is an active IMCAS collaborator (joint chikungunya research in Cell, joint Zika work, Brazil branch of CEEID). Regional peer in Latin America with overlapping infectious disease and vaccine development capabilities.
• Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI): China's largest genomics and bioinformatics organization with overlapping sequencing, microbiome analytics, and data center capabilities (BGI-Research, China National GeneBank). Regional peer in large-scale biological data infrastructure and microbiome research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/casmicrobiology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences