Quantitative Bioscience Institute

What Quantitative Bioscience Institute does

QBI is an Organized Research Unit within the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy, founded on March 16, 2016 as an evolution of the Molecular Design Institute established in 1993. The institute pursues disease-agnostic, quantitative biology research using an integrated technology stack that includes protein-protein interaction (PPI) mapping, cryo-EM/ET and mass spectrometry, CRISPR functional genomics, microfluidics, structural modeling, and AI/ML-driven target discovery. QBI organizes its scientific program around three Cell Map Initiatives: the Cancer Cell Map Initiative (CCMI), the Psychiatric Cell Map Initiative (PCMI), and the Host-Pathogen Cell Map Initiative (HPMI). Its most consequential scientific output to date is the systematic SARS-CoV-2 human protein interaction map produced by the QBI Coronavirus Research Group (QCRG) in 2020, which identified 69 drug candidates and advanced 27 into clinical trials.

QBI serves a diverse set of constituencies rather than commercial customers. Its primary "customer segments" are academic researchers and institutions seeking access to advanced platforms and interdisciplinary collaboration; biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies seeking novel drug targets and translational partnerships; and graduate students, postdocs, and early-career scientists supported through the QBI Fellowship Program, QBI Y.E.S. (Youth.Excellence.Science) Fellowship, internship, and sabbatical programs. Government and public health organizations are a secondary segment, particularly for pandemic preparedness and early-warning research. The institute also engages a developer community through the QBI Hackathon program, which pairs Bay Area engineers with UCSF, UC Berkeley, and UC Santa Cruz scientists on AI/ML-driven biomedical problems.

QBI does not sell products or services and has no disclosed revenue. As a non-profit academic ORU, it is funded through UCSF institutional support, federal and state grants (including QBI-administered RFA grant programs), industry partnerships, and affiliated foundations. Outputs are distributed via academic collaborations, industry partnerships, spinout companies (notably Rezo Therapeutics, spun out from CCMI in 2025), training programs, scientific publications, and public events. The 2026-launched QBI Translation framework formalizes the pipeline from basic discovery through affiliated companies and foundation support. QBI is led by founding Director Nevan J. Krogan, with Chief Strategy Officer John A.T. Young (ex-Roche) and Chief Science and Technology Officer Andy Kilianski (ex-ARPA-H) joining in mid-2026 to expand industry engagement and commercialization.

Name

Quantitative Bioscience Institute

Legal name

Quantitative Biosciences Institute

Website

https://qbi.ucsf.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

QBI is an Organized Research Unit within UCSF's School of Pharmacy that applies quantitative biology, proteomics, structural biology, CRISPR, and AI/ML to map protein-protein interactions across cancer, psychiatric, and infectious diseases, serving academic researchers, biotech and pharma partners, and trainees through collaborative research and affiliated spinouts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Biomedical Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multiplex & High-Throughput Diagnostics Platforms (microarrays, digital PCR, lab automation-enabled assays) (HLAAALAL), Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD)

Keywords

• Biomedical research services
• Protein interaction mapping
• Drug target discovery
• Structural biology platforms
• Academic translational research

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Quantitative Bioscience Institute (QBI) is an academic research institute within UCSF's School of Pharmacy that conducts quantitative and interdisciplinary bioscience research to understand disease mechanisms and enable drug discovery. QBI operates multiple Cell Mapping Initiatives (Cancer, Psychiatric, and Host-Pathogen), maintains technology platforms spanning cryo-EM/ET, mass spectrometry, CRISPR, and AI/ML, and runs training programs including fellowships and hackathons to support early-career scientists. The institute bridges academic discovery with therapeutic development through industry partnerships and spinout companies.

Product overview

The Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) is an organized research unit within UCSF's School of Pharmacy that operates as a research institute rather than a product company. QBI's offerings include multiple Cell Mapping Initiatives (Cancer Cell Map Initiative, Psychiatric Cell Map Initiative, Host-Pathogen Cell Map Initiative), technology platforms (cryo-EM/ET, mass spectrometry, CRISPR, microfluidics, structural modeling), training programs (Fellowship Program, Y.E.S. Fellowship, Internship Program, Hackathon), and spinout companies including Rezo Therapeutics. The institute bridges academia and industry through an integrated translational pipeline designed to connect basic discovery with therapeutic development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QBI Y.E.S. Youth.Excellence.Science Fellowship - a program for students from underprivileged backgrounds to learn about discovery research and career opportunities in STEM
• Institut Pasteur - UCSF QBI Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases
• QBI Translation

Products and services

• Cancer Cell Map Initiative (CCMI) A cell mapping research program focused on understanding protein-protein interactions in cancer to systematically identify new therapeutic targets and disease mechanisms.
• Psychiatric Cell Map Initiative (PCMI) A cell mapping research program focused on understanding protein-protein interactions in psychiatric disorders to identify novel therapeutic targets and disease mechanisms.
• Host-Pathogen Cell Map Initiative (HPMI) A cell mapping research program focused on understanding how pathogens interact with host cells at the protein level to inform infectious disease research and pandemic preparedness.
• QBI Fellowship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 27 drug candidates advanced to clinical trials from COVID-19 protein interaction mapping research
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025MOU signed on December 8, 2025 to launch a cross-border collaboration focused on the convergence of artificial intelligence and human health. The partnership includes joint events, research collaborations, and exchange programs between QBI at UCSF and the University of Alberta, with involvement from the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii).
• Systems Biology Ireland (SBI) at University College DublinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 December 2023Partnership through the QBI-SBI Collaborative Network Biology and Drug/Drug Target Discovery RFA, supporting joint research in network biology and drug discovery.
• Tel Aviv University (TAU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020Partnership with TAU's Edmond J. Safra Center for Bioinformatics and Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery through the QBI-TAU Computational Biology and Drug Discovery RFA.
• PSL-Qlife Institute at Institut Curie, ParisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2020International collaborative partnership through the QBI-QLIFE Quantitative Approaches RFA, supporting joint research in quantitative biology between UCSF and Paris institutions.
• Freie Universität Berlin (FUB)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2019International collaborative partnership through the QBI-FUB Integrative Structural Biology RFA, supporting joint pilot projects in structural biology research.
• Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of the 'Blueprints of Tomorrow: AI & Human Health' event with QBI and University of Alberta. Amii brings Alberta's leadership in artificial intelligence to strengthen the collaboration's technical capabilities.
• Institut PasteurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Institut Pasteur-UCSF QBI Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases. Includes the Faculty Mini-Sabbatical Program for one- to three-month exchanges between institutions, focusing on pandemic preparedness research.
• Rezo TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiotechnology spinout company from QBI's Cancer Cell Map Initiative. Rezo advances precision therapies through disease network mapping using technology from QBI's platform.
• Gladstone InstitutescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partner on multiple studies including HIV research and coronavirus protein interaction mapping. Nevan Krogan serves as senior investigator at Gladstone while directing QBI.
• UC BerkeleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQB3 campus partner collaborating on hackathon events and joint research initiatives. Scientists from UCB participate in QBI hackathons and collaborative projects.
• UC Santa CruzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQB3 campus partner collaborating on hackathon events and joint research initiatives. Scientists from UCSC participate in QBI hackathons and collaborative projects.
• Consulate General of Canada in San FranciscominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported the 'Blueprints of Tomorrow: AI & Human Health' event and hosted reception following the MOU signing between QBI and University of Alberta.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Broad Institute: Large-scale academic-affiliated biomedical research organization with deep capabilities in genomics, proteomics, chemical biology, and therapeutic translation. Operates a broader portfolio but shares QBI's disease-agnostic, platform-driven discovery philosophy.

Direct peers

• Generate Biomedicines: AI-enabled generative biology platform focused on novel protein therapeutics; comparable in its use of structural biology and generative AI to design protein-based interventions, similar to QBI's protein-centric discovery mandate.
• Recursion Pharmaceuticals: AI/ML-driven drug discovery company combining high-throughput wet-lab biology with computational target identification. Closely comparable to QBI in mission (data-rich, biology-first discovery) though operating as a commercial entity rather than academic institute.
• Insitro: MACHINE-learning driven drug discovery platform integrating genomics, proteomics, and CRISPR functional genomics — directly overlapping QBI's technology stack (CRISPR, proteomics, AI/ML for target discovery).
• Arc Institute: Independent research institute combining computational and experimental biology with a focus on complex disease and AI-driven science; analogous academic-style model with disease-agnostic scope and industry partnership ambition.
• Atomwise: AI-driven small-molecule drug discovery company using structure-based deep learning. Comparable in its use of AI/ML for target identification and partnership-driven commercialization model, though focused on small molecules rather than protein-protein interaction mapping.
• Gladstone Institutes: UCSF-affiliated independent research organization focused on disease-focused biomedical discovery. Directly comparable as a neighboring UCSF institute with overlapping senior investigators (Krogan) and complementary disease programs.
• Institute for Protein Design (University of Washington): Academic institute using computational protein design, structural biology, and AI/ML to engineer novel proteins; comparable in scope and methodology to QBI's cryo-EM and protein structure prediction capabilities.

Emerging players

• Rezo Therapeutics: Spinout of QBI's Cancer Cell Map Initiative using disease network mapping to advance precision therapies. A natural peer as the first commercial embodiment of QBI's platform technology.

Regional players

• EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory): Intergovernmental research organization for molecular life sciences, with strong structural biology, proteomics, and computational biology programs. Highly comparable platform capabilities but operates in Europe rather than the US.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QBI_UCSF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/QBITVUCSF
• Facebookfacebook.com/qbiucsf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qbi-ucsf
• Instagraminstagram.com/qbi_ucsf
• TikToktiktok.com/@qbi_ucsf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Quantitative Bioscience Institute