Instituto de Biologia Celular Y Neurociencia

What Instituto de Biologia Celular Y Neurociencia does

The Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias "Prof. E. De Robertis" (IBCN) is a public, non-profit academic research institute located at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Established approximately in 1925 with nearly a century of active history in Argentine science, the institute is also a research unit of CONICET (Argentina's national research council). It is structured as a federation of 18 specialized research laboratories covering cellular and molecular neuroscience, neurotoxicity and neuroprotection, neurogenesis, memory mechanisms, neuroplasticity, sensory systems, retinal degeneration, perinatal programming of neurodevelopment, axonal transport in neurodegenerative diseases, molecular embryology (using Xenopus laevis), and translational neuroscience. Research is supported by two shared core platforms: LANAIS-MIE, a high-level microscopy service offering transmission/scanning electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, and super-resolution Airyscan imaging, and the Bioterio animal facility housing Wistar rats, multiple mouse strains (including transgenic and knockout), Xenopus laevis amphibians, and Leghorn chicks.

The institute does not sell commercial products or services and operates no commercial revenue model. It is funded entirely through competitive public research grants from UBA (UBACyT), CONICET (PIP), ANPCyT (PICT), and a portfolio of international funding bodies including Pew Charitable Trust, CurePSP, Alzheimer Association, IBRO, FENS, and bilateral cooperation agreements. The only fee-based activity is the LANAIS-MIE microscopy service, which provides paid technical services to external researchers and institutions through the Sistema Nacional de Microscopía (SNM). Its primary "customers" are academic researchers, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral fellows who are trained and hosted within the institute; its outputs are scientific publications, doctoral theses, trained scientists, and access to specialized equipment. The institute maintains a leadership structure led by Director Prof. Dr. Hugo Ríos and Vice-Director Prof. Dr. Juan José López Costa, and is staffed by CONICET researchers, UBA faculty, and technical personnel.

From a strategic perspective, the IBCN functions as a publicly-funded discovery science platform rather than a commercial entity. It has no equity owners, no funding rounds in the venture sense, no patents or trademarks disclosed, no M&A activity, and no commercial pricing models. Its strategic significance derives from its sustained scientific productivity (individual labs report 46–153 publications, with documented h-indexes), its international collaboration footprint spanning North America, Europe, and Latin America, and its role as one of the anchor neuroscience research nodes within the Argentine public science system.

Name

Instituto de Biologia Celular Y Neurociencia

Legal name

Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias "Prof. E. De Robertis"

Website

https://ibcn.fmed.uba.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias "Prof. E. De Robertis" (IBCN) is a public academic research institute affiliated with Universidad de Buenos Aires and CONICET in Argentina, operating 18 specialized neuroscience laboratories plus a shared advanced microscopy platform (LANAIS-MIE) and animal facility for academic researchers and doctoral trainees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Neuroscience and Cell Biology Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology (Dementia/Memory Disorders) (HLAKAIAH), Neural & Spinal Cord Regeneration (HLAAAGAI)

Keywords

• Neuroscience research services
• Cellular biology research
• Advanced microscopy services
• Biomedical research institute
• Doctoral neuroscience training

Headquarters

HQ city

Buenos Aires

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Public academic research institute conducting fundamental research in cellular biology and neuroscience across 18 specialized laboratories, covering neurotoxicity, neuroprotection, synaptic plasticity, memory, developmental neurobiology, neuropharmacology, retinal degeneration, axonal transport, and experimental neurogenesis. The institute delivers doctoral training and operates two core technological service units: LANAIS-MIE (high-level electron, optical, confocal, and super-resolution Airyscan microscopy) and a Bioterio animal facility supporting internal and external researchers.

Product overview

El Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias "Prof. E. De Robertis" es un instituto de investigación de la Universidad de Buenos Aires con casi un siglo de historia. El instituto opera como una plataforma de investigación compuesta por 19 laboratorios especializados que abarcan diversas áreas de neurobiología, incluyendo neurotoxicidad, memoria, neuroplasticidad, desarrollo, neurofarmacología y enfermedades neurodegenerativas. Los servicios centrales incluyen LANAIS-MIE (Servicio Tecnológico de Alto Nivel en Microscopía con microscopía electrónica y confocal) y el Bioterio (facilidad de animales de laboratorio). El instituto no ofrece productos comerciales, sino servicios de investigación científica, formación doctoral y acceso a equipamiento especializado de microscopía.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LANAIS-MIE Advanced Microscopy Service (Servicio Tecnológico de Alto Nivel) High-level microscopy service providing transmission and scanning electron microscopy, optical and confocal microscopy, and super-resolution Airyscan microscopy to internal institute researchers and external academic and industry clients. Includes technical and scientific support for image acquisition and analysis of biological samples (tissues, cell cultures, subcellular fractions). Appointments managed through the Sistema Nacional de Microscopía (SNM).
• Bioterio (Animal Research Facility) Multi-species laboratory animal facility housing Wistar rats (exocriadas and transgenic GFP), mice (C57BL/6, CD-1, C3H, SV-129, transgenic and knockout strains), Xenopus laevis amphibians, and Leghorn chicks. Provides in-house animal models and specialized care for neurodevelopmental, neuropharmacological, sensory system, and behavioral studies for internal institute laboratories and external research partners.
• Doctoral Thesis Supervision Program Formal doctoral thesis supervision program supporting PhD candidates across all 18 laboratories of the institute, leading to theses defended at UBA's Facultad de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, and Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Includes international co-supervision arrangements with institutions such as UFRGS (Brazil).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Institut du Fer à Moulin, ParisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Luc Maroteaux for research on serotonin system and neurogenesis.
• Paris Brain Institut, ParisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Nicolas Renier and Dr. Patricia Gaspar on neurogenesis research.
• University of Copenhagen, DenmarkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Arne Schousboe from Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
• Technische Universität München, GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFELICITy Study collaboration on fetal biomarkers of maternal stress. HANS FISCHER SENIOR FELLOWSHIP awarded to Dr. MC Antonelli at Institute for Advanced Study, TUM.
• University of Washington, USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Martin Frasch, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
• UCSD, San Diego, USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Paula Desplats on epigenetics research.
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Hermona Soreq on cholinergic systems.
• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Dr. Lucas de Oliveira Alvares for neuroscience research.
• Marine Biological Laboratory, USA (National Xenopus Resource)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Marko Horb, Director of National Xenopus Resource, for Xenopus research and developmental biology.
• Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de ChileminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Miguel L Concha on developmental biology research.
• INGEBI (Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dra. Lucía Franchini on molecular evolution research.
• Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja (CIBIR), SpainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Prof. Dr. Alfredo Martínez, Dr. Ignacio Larráyoz, and Dr. Rafael Peláez on retinal research and angiogenesis studies.
• University of Saskatchewan, CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration including Global Ambassador Award and research exchanges with Dr. Tomás Falzone.
• Universidad de Morón, ArgentinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration for doctoral thesis supervision and research training.
• Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Alberto Epstein on herpes virus vectors and gene delivery. DEVENIR LIA (Laboratoire International Associé) established between Dr. Jerusalinsky's LaN&N and Dr. Epstein's laboratory.
• University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Prof. Alan Harvey on molecular pharmacology.
• UFRGS, Porto Alegre, BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Prof. Jorge Quillfeldt on behavioral pharmacology.
• UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Sergio Ferreira on molecular bases of Alzheimer's disease.
• IMBICE (Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular), La PlataminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Néstor G. Carri on developmental biology and retina research.
• Miami University, Oxford, USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Katia Del Rio-Tsonis on chick retina regeneration research (NIH Grant RO1 EYO17319).
• Instituto Cajal, CSIC, Madrid, SpainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dra. Laura López Mascaraque on neural development research.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Janelia Research Campus (HHMI): HHMI's advanced research campus for neuroscience and imaging tools development. Comparable as a research institute developing and providing advanced imaging/microscopy tools for the scientific community, similar to IBCN's LANAIS-MIE service.
• Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL): A larger and more established U.S.-based biological research institute affiliated with the University of Chicago. Active IBCN collaboration partner (Xenopus research with Horb lab) and comparable as a foundational biomedical research organization.
• Allen Institute for Brain Science: A larger, well-funded U.S.-based neuroscience research organization with a similar multi-disciplinary research and technology-platform (imaging, computation) approach. Although at significantly larger scale, comparable in mission and structure.

Direct peers

• INIMEC - Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra: INIMEC-CONICET in Córdoba is an Argentine public biomedical research institute conducting neuroscience and cell biology research. It is comparable to IBCN in funding structure, scope of research, and mission.
• Institut du Fer à Moulin: An Inserm-affiliated neuroscience research institute in Paris cited as an active IBCN collaboration partner (Maroteaux lab, serotonin system). Directly comparable in fundamental neuroscience research focus and international collaboration model.
• Paris Brain Institute (Institut du Cerveau): France's flagship translational neuroscience institute, an active IBCN partner (Gaspar, Renier labs). Conduct fundamental and clinical neuroscience research across multiple domains - directly comparable in research breadth and structure.
• Fundación Instituto Leloir: The Leloir Institute in Buenos Aires is a CONICET-affiliated biomedical research institute led by a Nobel laureate legacy, conducting multi-disciplinary molecular biology and neuroscience research. It is the most direct comparable to IBCN among Argentine public biomedical research institutes.
• Instituto Pasteur de Montevideo: A Uruguayan biomedical research institute cited as an IBCN collaboration partner. Operates a similar model of multi-disciplinary biomedical research with public funding and international partnerships.
• IBYME - Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental: IBYME is a CONICET-affiliated biomedical research institute in Buenos Aires doing multi-disciplinary research in cell biology, endocrinology, and neuroscience. It shares the UBA/CONICET organizational model, scale, and grant-funding profile with IBCN.
• INGEBI - Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca: INGEBI is a CONICET-affiliated biomedical research institute cited as an IBCN collaboration partner, focused on molecular evolution, biochemistry, and neurobiology. Operates under the same Argentine public-academic funding model with overlapping neuroscience interests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-de-biologia-celular-y-neurociencia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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