NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering

What NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering does

NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering (NCCR MSE) is a Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research founded in 2014 and headquartered at the University of Basel. It is publicly funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) under the NCCR funding scheme and operates as a non-profit research consortium rather than a commercial entity. The consortium brings together approximately 100 researchers across about 30 research groups from nine Swiss institutions (University of Basel, ETH Zurich, EPFL, IBM Research Zurich, Paul Scherrer Institute, University of Bern, University of Geneva, University of Zurich, University Hospital Basel), with Thomas Ward serving as Director and Daniel J. Müller as Co-Director based at ETH Zurich's Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering in Basel.

NCCR MSE's research program spans systems chemistry, systems biology, and synthetic biology, organized around four work packages: (1) molecular factories based on artificial metalloenzymes, (2) screening platforms based on droplet microfluidics, (3) stem cell and tissue engineering, and (4) nanomechanical functional programming. Notable platforms include MitoCatch for mitochondrial delivery in LHON, Liquid-in-Liquid Printing for high-density biochemical information storage, an engineered human-cell bone marrow model, artificial metalloenzyme-driven membrane phase separation, CRISPR deep screening for cancer mutations, electro-genetic interfaces for cell therapies, nitroglycerine-patch-activated gene switches for metabolic disease, photoreceptor-like signal transduction in protocells, DNA-origami nanopores in polymeric vesicles, and synthetic molecular motors for polymersome-based drug delivery.

The business model is grant-funded research distribution rather than commercial sales. Revenue inflows consist of SNSF NCCR base funding plus competitive grants (including two 2024 ERC Advanced Grants of CHF 2.5M each to Ward and Wenger) and industry partner commitments for joint professorships and researcher training. The consortium engages its audiences through academic publications, international conferences (ICMSE 2026, ICEEL 2026), and the differentiated "Art of Molecule" ethics initiative with art-science collaborations at the Locarno Film Festival, with argovia philharmonic, and with Zurich University of the Arts. Outputs serve the academic research community and, translationally, patient populations in ophthalmology (LHON, Stargardt), orthopedics (cartilage repair, osteoarthritis), oncology, hematology (bone marrow), and metabolic disease.

Name

NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering

Legal name

NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering

Website

https://nccr-mse.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering is a publicly funded Swiss research consortium headquartered in Basel that conducts interdisciplinary molecular systems engineering across nine Swiss institutions, developing tools and platforms for synthetic biology, tissue engineering, and therapeutic applications including gene therapy, mitochondrial delivery, and cartilage repair.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Consortium (Molecular Systems Engineering)

NAICS

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

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protein Engineering & Directed Evolution Platforms (enzyme/therapeutic protein optimization) (HLAAAIAC), Engineered Protein Therapeutics (de novo/AI-designed proteins, novel scaffolds) (HLAAAAAJ)

Keywords

• Molecular systems engineering
• Synthetic biology research
• Systems chemistry
• Molecular factories
• Interdisciplinary research

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Funding: Funded by Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through NCCR funding scheme. Supported by leading life science and chemical industries with commitments including new joint professorships, continual education and training.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering is a Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) that conducts interdisciplinary research in systems chemistry, systems biology, and synthetic biology. The consortium develops molecular factories, cellular systems, and engineered molecular tools for applications in medical diagnostics, therapy, treatment, and high added-value chemical production. It operates as a publicly funded research consortium rather than a commercial product company.

Product overview

NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering is a Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) focused on interdisciplinary research in molecular systems engineering. The organization brings together researchers from University of Basel, ETH Zurich, and other Swiss institutions to work on systems chemistry, systems biology, and synthetic biology. NCCR MSE conducts research across multiple work packages (WP1-WP4) covering molecular factories based on artificial metalloenzymes, screening platforms based on droplet microfluidics, stem cell and tissue engineering, and nanomechanical functional programming. The organization also hosts the Art of Molecule ethics initiative, which facilitates art-science collaborations. NCCR MSE is not a commercial product company but rather a publicly funded research consortium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Two ERC Advanced Grants awarded to researchers (CHF 2.5 million each)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swiss Embassy in LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2023NCCR MSE Ethics Branch organized a one-day symposium on 'Engineering Life - State of the Art and Ethical Challenges' at the Embassy. Facilitated collaboration between UK and Swiss research communities under a government MoU on scientific collaboration.
• Beatrice Trussardi FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2021Italian entrepreneur visited NCCR MSE to learn about Art of Molecule ethics project. Lab visits with Martin Fussenegger, Botond Roska, and Barbara Treutlein to discuss engineering life research and ethical challenges.
• MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Philipp Holliger (rapid antibody discovery via deep screening) and Jerome Zürcher (reprogramming genetic code) presenting at London symposium.
• Imperial College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTom Ellis presented on Synthetic Genome Modules; Claudia Contini on synthetic cells. Sc2.0 synthetic yeast genome project collaboration.
• University of EdinburghminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobert Smith participated in ethics panel discussion on engineering life sciences.
• Pontifical Academy for Life, RomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenzo Pegoraro participated in ethics panel; ongoing collaboration through Scientists for Peace global call to action and ICEEL conferences.
• Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration since 2017 for Art of Molecule program. Open lab format enabling exchange between scientists and artists culminating in artistic projects. Multiple joint projects including Treulose Experimente and Side Effects exhibition.
• argovia philharmoniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnique music-science collaboration producing Lab Concerto performances, Sound of Molecules compositions, and Maestro Method workshops. Premiered Sound of Molecules I. fiddle (with) at ICMSE 2017.
• Novartis Institutes for BioMedical ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelen Manioglu presented research on antibiotic mechanisms at London symposium.
• University of OxfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStephan Hirschi presented vesicular systems research at London symposium.
• Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding body through NCCR funding scheme. Supports research, education, ethics initiatives, and public engagement activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Arc Institute: California-based research organization combining Stanford, UCSF, and UC Berkeley scientists in interdisciplinary programs spanning genomics, synthetic biology, and cellular engineering; comparable early-stage consortium model with a focus on bold scientific questions at scale.

Others

• Allen Institute: US nonprofit research organization with large-scale, team-science approach across brain science, cell science, and immunology; comparable only loosely in operating as a publicly-funded, multi-program research enterprise with strong public engagement and ethics focus.

Broad incumbents

• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Larger and more established biomedical and genomic research institute; comparable in pursuing genomics, chemical biology, and cellular engineering at scale, with a much broader portfolio spanning many disease areas beyond NCCR MSE's synthetic biology focus.
• Ginkgo Bioworks: US-based commercial synthetic biology platform company; comparable in applying engineering principles to biological systems and cell programming, but operating as a commercial enterprise rather than publicly-funded consortium.

Direct peers

• MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology: UK-based MRC research laboratory with whom NCCR MSE has formal collaboration on antibody discovery and genetic code reprogramming; comparable in molecular biology research depth and PI-led group structure focused on fundamental discovery.
• Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering: Harvard-affiliated research institute focused on bio-inspired, systems-level engineering of molecular and cellular systems including synthetic biology, organ-on-chip, and programmable cells; highly comparable mission to NCCR MSE's molecular factories and cellular systems engineering work.
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL): Intergovernmental European research organization conducting molecular life sciences research across multiple sites; comparable in scale, interdisciplinary molecular research scope, and publicly-funded consortium structure to NCCR MSE.
• Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics: German Max Planck research institute focused on molecular cell biology, tissue organization, and synthetic biology; comparable publicly-funded PI-group consortium model with strong synthetic biology and tissue engineering programs.

Regional players

• Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG): Barcelona-based biomedical research institute with strong systems biology, synthetic biology, and gene regulation programs; comparable in mission and consortium-style organization, but anchored in Spain rather than Switzerland.
• EPFL School of Life Sciences: Swiss academic institution and NCCR MSE partner with strong programs in bioengineering, synthetic biology, and chemical biology; comparable in geographic and disciplinary footprint but operating as a degree-granting university rather than a focused research consortium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOSn0rhflLmS5pwkC3wS34w
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCCRmse
• Instagraminstagram.com/nccrwomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nccr-mse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering