Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory

What Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory does

Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) is a fee-for-service pilot-scale bioprocessing facility operated by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign within the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Founded in September 2018, IBRL bridges bench-scale discovery and commercial production of bioproducts for clients ranging from Fortune 50 corporations to start-ups, including ADM, DSM, Amyris, Neste, The EVERY Company, Forge Biologics, and Motif FoodWorks. The facility operates 1,200-liter working volume fermenters and 2,400-liter tanks, downstream processing equipment (centrifugation, membrane filtration, chromatography, spray drying), and analytical laboratories, with equipment on casters for flexible reconfiguration to client-specific setups. Approximately 70-100+ companies have used the facility in four years, with certain equipment pieces booked 6-7 months in advance.

IBRL generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) fee-for-service pilot-scale bioprocessing and fermentation projects with direct industry engagement led by the Associate Director of Business Development; (2) three-day fermentation short courses at $3,000 per participant ($2,500 early bird), capped at 40 participants; and (3) corporate sponsorship of those courses at Bronze/Silver/Gold tiers ($500-$3,000). The lab also operates educational and workforce development programs including the FASTER internship, the Professional Science Master's in Bioprocessing and Bioenergy, Coursera online courses, custom corporate training, and the Illinois Biodiesel Initiative student organization. Sponsorship revenue, academic credit programs, and iFAB consortium ecosystem funding (approximately $680M in partner commitments and a $70M EDA grant application) supplement core service revenue.

IBRL leads the iFAB (Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing) Tech Hub, designated as a Regional Innovation and Technology Hub by the US EDA in October 2023, positioning the laboratory as the scale-up node of a regional precision fermentation ecosystem anchored in central Illinois. The lab is actively pursuing IBRL 2.0, a second adjacent facility, and is expanding into community-college workforce credentialing and DoD-funded bio-industrial manufacturing projects through BioMADE.

Name

Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory

Legal name

Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory

Website

https://ibrl.aces.illinois.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IBRL is a University of Illinois fee-for-service pilot-scale bioprocessing facility that bridges bench-scale discovery to commercial production for Fortune 50 companies to startups. It operates 1,200-liter fermenters, downstream processing, and workforce training programs serving 70+ industry clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-for-Service Research and Pilot Services: IBRL operates as a fee-for-service facility, providing infrastructure and equipment access to companies ranging from Fortune 50 to startups at fees that would otherwise cost millions to develop independently. Services include pilot-scale bioprocessing, fermentation, and downstream processing.
2. Short Course Fees: Three-day fermentation short courses cost $3,000 per participant (early bird $2,500). Course caps at 40 participants with hands-on demonstrations. Custom courses available for corporate teams.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Sponsorship opportunities at three levels: Bronze ($500), Silver ($1,500), Gold ($3,000). Sponsors receive logo placement, verbal recognition, networking access, and materials inclusion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IBRL is a fee-for-service pilot-scale bioprocessing research facility at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that provides companies ranging from Fortune 50 corporations to startups with access to fermentation, downstream processing, and analytical testing infrastructure. The lab bridges the gap from basic discovery to commercialization of bioproducts through contract research, workforce training (short courses, internships, degree programs), and event sponsorships.

Product overview

IBRL offers a unified portfolio of bioprocessing research and training services centered around its pilot-scale facilities. The core offering consists of the IBRL Pilot Plant and Food Science Pilot Plant, which provide fee-for-service bioprocessing capabilities for companies ranging from Fortune 50 to startups. Supporting this are educational programs including Fermentation Short Courses (in-person, three-day intensive), Coursera online courses, the FASTER internship program, and a Professional Science Master's degree in Bioprocessing and Bioenergy. Additional offerings include Custom Courses for corporate clients, Analytical Testing Services, the Illinois Biodiesel Initiative student organization, and academic class access across multiple university departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IBRL Pilot Plant A pilot-scale bioprocessing research facility providing fermentation, downstream processing, and analytical laboratories for industry clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to startups, bridging the gap from basic discovery to commercialization of bioproducts.
• Food Science Pilot Plant A product research and development facility within the Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition that supports food science innovation, working alongside IBRL to bridge bench to market application for food-grade products.
• Fermentation Short Courses Three-day intensive courses combining classroom lectures with hands-on demonstrations at the IBRL Pilot Plant and Analytical Laboratory, covering fermentation processes from bench to pilot scale for industry professionals.
• Coursera Online Courses Online courses offered through the Coursera platform taught by IBRL expert team members, including 'New Fermentation Markets and How They Scale' and additional courses in development, targeting global self-paced learners.
• Custom Courses Bespoke training programs created for corporate teams using IBRL's expert staff, top-of-the-line pilot plant facility, and University resources.
• FASTER Internship Program Food and Agricultural Science in Technology Education and Research (FASTER) paid internship providing undergraduate students hands-on experience in IBRL and the Food Science Pilot Plant.
• Professional Science Master's in Bioprocessing and Bioenergy Non-thesis Master of Science program providing training and coursework in bioprocessing and bioenergy with hands-on experience through internships at IBRL facilities.
• Analytical Testing Services Laboratory analytical testing services supporting bioprocessing research and quality control for industry clients, utilizing HPLC, microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, YSI/OD measurements, and volatiles processing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment booked 6-7 months in advance indicating high demand and limited capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• iFAB Hub (Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2023IBRL leads the iFAB consortium of approximately 30 partner organizations representing academic, industry, government, and nonprofit sectors. iFAB was designated a Regional Innovation and Technology Hub by the U.S. EDA. The consortium seeks to scale precision fermentation to convert underutilized corn feedstocks into high-value products. Partners include Champaign County, city of Champaign, city of Decatur, Macon County, Piatt County, state of Illinois, and industry partners like ADM.
• CSL BehringminorOthers · 1 June 2022Donated a filter press to IBRL in June 2022. Filter press helps create more defined products by separating solids and liquids and allows multiple client projects to be run simultaneously. IBRL staff expressed gratitude for the contribution.
• CABBI (Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017DOE-funded Bioenergy Research Center led by University of Illinois. CABBI receives $262.5 million total funding (2017-2027). IBRL serves as facility for CABBI research. Collaboration involves Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE), Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, 11 academic departments, and 20 partner institutions.
• Boston Bioprocess (BBP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch Park startup co-located with IBRL in Urbana-Champaign. BBP oversees process development and finalizes parameters, preparing products to be scaled up at IBRL. Provides early-stage resources and experimental design expertise coupled with IBRL's pilot-scale infrastructure. BBP has brought on three interns and a full-time employee from U. of I.
• ADM (Archer Daniels Midland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey member of the iFAB consortium. IBRL Executive Director Vijay Singh previously managed production at ADM at scales of 500,000L+ for yeast, fungal, and bacterial strains. ADM presentation on process modeling and economic analysis at IBRL short courses.
• Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Local 149coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal union instrumental in developing and maintaining infrastructure for IBRL's fermentation technologies. Established new training facility to meet demands of expanding fermentation industry. IBRL and BBP benefit from union expertise in infrastructure development.
• Parkland College and Richland Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity colleges leading workforce development project as part of iFAB's $70 million grant application. Collaboration with regional planning commissions, Illinois Agri-Food Alliance, and four labor unions to train skilled workers for biomanufacturing industry.
• PrimientminorOthersGlobal supplier to the fermentation industry. Aids in sourcing critical fermentation substrates for IBRL's clients in the challenging economic environment.
• Plant Based Products Council (PBPC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeth Conerty, IBRL's Associate Director of Business Development, serves on PBPC's Advisory Board providing outside counsel and guidance. PBPC advances policy proposals supporting the plant-based products industry and serves as neutral third party.
• BioMADEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch program on bio-industrial manufacturing technologies funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. General Probiotics cooperates with IBRL as part of BioMADE, developing engineered probiotic bacteria for poultry at scale for FDA trials.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Process Innovation (CPI): UK-based process innovation center operating pilot-scale facilities for bioprocessing and industrial biotechnology, with a similar model of bridging bench-scale discovery to commercial manufacturing through fee-for-service infrastructure access.
• MBI International: Michigan-based pilot-scale bioprocessing facility offering fermentation and downstream processing services to industry, formerly the Michigan Biotechnology Institute, with a comparable fee-for-service pilot-scale model and bioproduct commercialization focus.
• Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit (ABPDU): Operated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ABPDU is a pilot-scale bioprocessing facility that performs process development and scale-up for industry clients on a fee-for-service basis, directly mirroring IBRL's pilot-scale fermentation and bioproduct commercialization mandate.

Others

• Ginkgo Bioworks: Cell engineering and biomanufacturing platform company with in-house pilot-scale fermentation capacity, serving as a downstream competitor/partner ecosystem that increasingly overlaps with academic pilot-scale facilities like IBRL for strain validation and scale-up work.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer IGB: German applied research institute specializing in interfacial engineering and biotechnology, with pilot-scale facilities for industrial biotechnology and bioprocess development that overlap with IBRL's fermentation and downstream processing capabilities.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory with extensive bioenergy and bioprocessing R&D capability, including pilot-scale fermentation and biomass conversion infrastructure, serving a broader portfolio that overlaps with IBRL's bioenergy and bioproduct focus.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's state-owned applied research organization with pilot-scale bioprocessing and industrial biotechnology infrastructure serving industry clients, providing a comparable combination of pilot facilities, workforce training, and industrial collaboration.
• Wageningen Food & Biobased Research: Netherlands-based applied research institute operating pilot-scale biorefinery and food/bioprocessing facilities with industry partnerships, comparable to IBRL in bridging academic R&D to commercial bioproduct scale-up.

Regional players

• Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute): New Zealand government-owned Crown Research Institute operating pilot-scale bioprocessing facilities for biobased products with industry partners, offering a comparable public-research-institute pilot-scale model in a different geographic market.

Emerging players

• Culture Biosciences: Cloud-based fermentation CRO providing pilot-scale bioreactor services to bioproduct companies, representing the digitally-enabled commercial alternative to IBRL's physical pilot plant model with overlapping target customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UIUC_Biodiesel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/integrated-bioprocessing-research-laboratory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory