MIT Department of Biology

Name

MIT Department of Biology

Legal name

MIT Department of Biology

Website

https://biology.mit.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The MIT Department of Biology is an academic research and teaching unit within MIT, founded in 1958, serving undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees through 10 research areas and 90+ affiliated laboratories integrated with major Boston-area life science institutes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Biological Sciences

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biology & Life Science Enrichment (Biotech, Genetics, Anatomy) (EDAMABAF), STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC), Scientific & Laboratory Reference (Chemistry, Biology, Physics; Methods & Protocols) (EDAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Biology education
• Biological sciences research
• Graduate training programs
• Molecular cell biology
• Science outreach programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Funding: Department receives significant NIH and NSF funding for research grants supporting faculty research programs and graduate training
2. Graduate Student Support: NIH Training Grant and departmental funding provide stipend support for graduate students in the program
3. Private Philanthropy: Bernard S. and Sophie G. Gould Fund and other donor contributions fund outreach programs and fellowships including MSRP-Bio and Gould Fellows
4. Institutional Partnerships: Collaborative funding from partner institutions including Whitehead Institute, Broad Institute, Koch Institute, Picower Institute, McGovern Institute, and Simons Center for the Social Brain

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MIT Department of Biology is an academic department that delivers undergraduate biology majors and minors, interdisciplinary PhD graduate training, and postdoctoral research training across ten research areas ranging from molecular structure to human disease. It also runs a portfolio of outreach programs, including the BSG-MSRP-Bio summer research internships, the LEAH Knox Scholars program, the Quantitative Methods Workshop, MIT Field Trips, and the Summer Workshop for Teachers, supported by shared departmental Core Facilities such as the Martinos Imaging Center and the BioMicro Center.

Product overview

MIT Department of Biology is an academic department offering a comprehensive educational portfolio comprising undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training programs alongside substantial outreach initiatives. The core academic programs include Graduate Training with interdisciplinary PhD preparation and Undergraduate Education with research exploration opportunities. Major research programs include BSG-MSRP-Bio (10-week summer research internships for non-MIT undergraduates in 90+ labs) and postdoctoral training with responsible conduct of research courses. Outreach offerings span the LEAH Knox Scholars Program (two-year high school student mentorship), Quantitative Methods Workshop (programming training in MATLAB/Python), MIT Field Trips (hands-on activities for high school classes), and Summer Workshop for Teachers (professional development for educators). Research infrastructure includes Core Facilities such as the Martinos Imaging Center. The department focuses on molecular cell biology spanning from molecular structure to human disease.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BSG-MSRP-Bio (Bernard S. and Sophie G. Gould MIT Summer Research Program in Biology): 10-week research-intensive summer training program for advanced non-MIT rising junior and senior STEM majors
• LEAH Knox Scholars Program
• Quantitative Methods Workshop

Products and services

• Graduate Training Program Interdisciplinary PhD graduate training program offering research opportunities and communication skills development for students across all stages of their academic careers, supported by the NIH Training Grant and departmental funding for stipend and tuition remission.
• Undergraduate Education Program Undergraduate biology major and minor program allowing MIT students to explore and collaborate across all areas of biological research with dedicated faculty instruction, subject offerings, research opportunities, and career development support.
• Postdoctoral Training Postdoctoral training program providing career development resources, funding guidance, postdoc associations, and required Responsible Conduct of Research courses for early-career scientists entering the academic job market.
• Bernard S. and Sophie G. Gould MIT Summer Research Program in Biology (BSG-MSRP-Bio) 10-week research-intensive summer training program for advanced non-MIT rising junior and senior STEM majors offering practical training in over 90 affiliated research laboratories, weekly seminars, faculty meetings, housing, travel allowance, and stipend; over 550 students have participated since 2003 with 80%+ enrolling in highly ranked graduate programs within three years.
• LEAH Knox Scholars Program Two-year pipeline program with hands-on lab experience and mentorship for low-income Boston, Cambridge, and Everett public high school students, including 5-week lab training at MIT, STEM teaching mentorship for elementary students, summer research internships, and college admissions counseling; established 2017 with NIH Science Education Partnership Award funding.
• Quantitative Methods Workshop Seven-day intensive workshop introducing students to quantitative tools and programming languages (MATLAB, Python) used to analyze experimental data in biology and neuroscience, including fMRI, MEG, and calcium imaging techniques; free 8-week online version also available through edX; partner with MARC, RISE, McNAIR, IMSD, and HHMI programs at institutions including Howard University, Spelman College, and the University of Puerto Rico campuses.
• MIT Field Trips One-day field trip program for high school science teachers who have completed the Summer Workshop, bringing high school classes to MIT Biology for lectures and hands-on activities including developmental biology lab, genetics, or biochemistry exercises.
• Summer Workshop for Teachers One-week professional development workshop combining lectures and hands-on laboratory courses for science teachers in grades 8-12 in the greater Boston area, culminating in science curriculum development sessions; co-sponsored with the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines with NSF funding.
• Core Facilities (Martinos Imaging Center) Departmental shared research facilities including the Martinos Imaging Center providing advanced imaging and microscopy services to support faculty research across the ten biology research areas.
• Responsible Conduct of Research Training Required intensive course for postdoctoral researchers covering mentoring, scientific record keeping, authorship, peer review, research misconduct, animal and human subjects research, intellectual property, and responsible research conduct.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 85% of MSRP-Bio participants enroll in highly ranked graduate programs within 3 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaborative partnership with Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Multiple faculty hold dual appointments and conduct research at Whitehead. Joint seminars and postdoctoral associations support career development. The institute co-sponsors the 2026 MIT Biology Catalyst Symposium.
• Broad InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated research institution for genomic and computational biology research. Multiple faculty hold positions at Broad Institute which provides additional research infrastructure and collaboration opportunities for department researchers.
• Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaculty including Stefani Spranger hold Intramural Faculty positions at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. Joint research focus on cancer biology with access to cutting-edge cancer research facilities.
• Department of Brain & Cognitive SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint program collaboration including MSRP-Bio which places students in Brain & Cognitive Sciences labs. Shared faculty and research interests in neurobiology and systems neuroscience.
• Department of ChemistrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in MSRP-Bio program placement opportunities. Joint research in biochemistry, chemical biology, and molecular biology approaches. Department of Chemistry co-funds the summer research program.
• Center for Brains, Minds and MachinesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSF-funded center collaborating on Quantitative Methods Workshop. Joint commitment to diversity in science education through computational neuroscience training for students from partner institutions.
• Picower Institute for Learning and MemorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of MSRP-Bio program providing summer research internship opportunities for non-MIT undergraduates. Shared research focus on neuroscience and learning.
• McGovern InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of MSRP-Bio program. Shared interest in brain research and cognitive science education outreach.
• Simons Center for the Social BrainmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of MSRP-Bio program supporting diversity in neuroscience research training.
• LEAH ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with LEAH Project to offer Knox Scholars program for high school students in Greater Boston Area. Joint mission to encourage STEM careers for students from low-income families.
• Health Resources in Action (HRiA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner administering LEAH Knox Scholars Program. HRiA manages application process and program operations for the two-year high school research program.
• Howard UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner institution for Quantitative Methods Workshop. Students from Howard University MARC, RISE, McNAIR, IMSD programs invited to attend workshop.
• Spelman CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner institution for Quantitative Methods Workshop. Students from Spelman College HHMI programs invited to attend annual workshop.
• Brooklyn CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner institution for Quantitative Methods Workshop. Students from Brooklyn College invited to attend annual January workshop.
• University of Puerto Rico (Multiple Campuses)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMultiple University of Puerto Rico campuses (Humacao, Mayagüez, Río Piedras) are partner institutions for Quantitative Methods Workshop with strong track record of MSRP-Bio participation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: Wholly affiliated research institute whose faculty hold MIT Biology appointments and host MSRP-Bio labs. Operates as a complementary, broader biomedical-research institution rather than a competing department.
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Joint MIT-Harvard genomics institute that hosts MIT Biology-affiliated faculty and provides large-scale genomic and computational biology infrastructure. Operates as a broader institutional complement rather than a direct department competitor.

Direct peers

• Columbia Department of Biological Sciences: Columbia Biological Sciences spans molecular, cellular, and systems biology in an Ivy League research setting. Direct peer in graduate training, faculty recruitment, and federal research funding competitiveness.
• Stanford Department of Biology: Stanford's primary biology department offering PhD and undergraduate training across molecular, cellular, and organismal biology. Direct peer competing for top graduate applicants, faculty hires, and federal research grants.
• Princeton Department of Molecular Biology: Princeton MolBio is a top-tier biology department emphasizing quantitative and molecular approaches. Direct peer in graduate training quality and federal-grant capture, with comparable selectivity.
• UC Berkeley Department of Molecular and Cell Biology: Berkeley's MCB department covers biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, and neurobiology at a public R1. Direct peer in research scope and graduate training; competitor for top-tier graduate applicants and federal funding.
• Johns Hopkins Department of Biology: JHU Biology is a major research and graduate training department with strengths in molecular biology, biophysics, and genomics. Direct peer in scale, research funding, and graduate-program competitiveness.
• Caltech Division of Biology and Biological Engineering: Caltech's biology unit integrates biological sciences with engineering, mirroring MIT Biology's interdisciplinary orientation. Direct peer for molecular/cell biology, neuroscience, and bioengineering research and graduate training.
• Yale Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry: Yale MBB combines structural biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology in a top-tier Ivy League research department. Direct peer in scope of graduate training and structural/molecular biology research output.
• Harvard Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology: Harvard's flagship biology department, located across the river in Cambridge. Direct peer in molecular/cellular biology research, graduate training, and faculty recruitment; competes head-to-head for trainees and federal funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mitbiology
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2P3engLHiam5bp2-ZxsUJg
• Facebookfacebook.com/MIT-Department-of-Biology-216044591818233
• Instagraminstagram.com/mitbiology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mit-department-of-biology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MIT Department of Biology