Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM)

What Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM) does

The Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS / CONICET-UNaM) is a dual-dependency public research institute jointly administered by Argentina's national research council CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Misiones (UNaM), operating two physical nodes in Posadas and Puerto Iguazú, Misiones province. It conducts multi-disciplinary biological research across 14+ specialized groups covering conservation biology (threatened birds, mammals including jaguar), ecology and ecosystem functioning, ethnobiology, biotoxinology and venom proteomics, tropical and subtropical diseases, applied, evolutionary, population and landscape genetics, mollusk genetics, parasitology, cytogenetics, and forest ecology and ecophysiology. Core methodologies span field observation, camera trapping, radio-telemetry, GPS tracking, non-invasive DNA sampling, molecular genetics, proteomics, cytogenetics, satellite imagery, and remote sensing.

The institute's outputs include peer-reviewed scientific publications (over 120 articles in 2022 alone in journals including Nature and ISME Journal), the GIGA genetic testing service platform operated in partnership with LACyGH for health, animal, food safety, agrobiotechnology, and biodiversity applications, and public science outreach including the monthly Café Científico Posadas (active since 2013, 100+ attendees per session). Internationally, IBS coordinates the Argentine and Latin American Networks of Mollusk Genetics and collaborates with PAHO/PANAFTOSA on venomous animal accident management, Nature Science Initiative (India), University of Wrocław (Poland), and Brazilian institutions including UNILA under Mercosur-EU frameworks.

The business model is non-commercial: IBS does not generate product revenue and is funded primarily through institutional allocations from CONICET and UNaM, supplemented by targeted grants such as ANPCyT/SPU Project D-TEC0025/13 supporting the GIGA service platform. The institute's "customers" are the general public and regional communities of Misiones (science outreach, genetic testing services), provincial and national public health authorities (tropical disease surveillance, envenomation management), conservation NGOs and protected-area managers (biodiversity data), and the academic community (peer-reviewed research and doctoral/postdoctoral training). Governance is led by Director Ana Honfi and Vice-Director Juliana Notarnicola, with a Directorial Council representing researchers, fellows, and technical staff in the standard CONICET research-unit model.

Name

Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM)

Legal name

Instituto de Biología Subtropical (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de Misiones)

Website

https://ibs.conicet.gov.ar

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM) is a public Argentine research institute operating two nodes in Misiones province, conducting multi-disciplinary biological research across 14+ groups in conservation, ecology, genetics, ethnobiology, biotoxinology, and tropical diseases, serving public health authorities, regional communities, and the scientific community through peer-reviewed publications and genetic testing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Posadas

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Institutional Funding (CONICET and UNaM): As a double-dependent research unit (CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Misiones), the institute receives institutional funding from Argentina's national research council and the university. This funds core research activities, salaries of career researchers (investigadores), and doctoral fellowships.
2. Genetic Testing and Diagnostic Services: The GIGA group operates a platform providing genetic testing services in human health, animal health, food safety, agrobiotechnology, and biodiversity applications. Services are provided to the regional population with support from ANPCyT and SPU (Project D-TEC0025/13). Revenue is generated through service fees for genetic analyses, characterizations, certifications, and molecular epidemiology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS) is a dual-dependency research institute (CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Misiones) that conducts multi-disciplinary biological research in subtropical ecosystems of northeastern Argentina, spanning conservation biology, molecular genetics, tropical disease ecology, biotoxinology, ethnobiology, and forest ecophysiology. It delivers fee-based genetic testing services through the GIGA Applied Genetics platform and disseminates scientific knowledge through peer-reviewed publications and community outreach programs.

Product overview

Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS/CONICET-UNaM) is a dual-dependency research institute (CONICET and Universidad Nacional de Misiones) with two nodes in Posadas and Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina. The institute does not offer commercial products but provides research services including specialized research groups conducting studies in conservation biology, ecology, genetics, tropical diseases, and ethnobiology. Research outputs include scientific publications, genetic testing services via the GIGA platform, and public science communication through the Café Científico Posadas. The institute's work spans from molecular biology to behavioral ecology, covering plants, animals, and microorganisms in subtropical environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Genetic Testing Services Platform (Plataforma de Servicios GIGA) A genetic and genomic services platform developed by the Grupo de Investigación en Genética Aplicada (GIGA) in partnership with LACyGH, providing genetic analysis services for human health, animal health, food safety, agrobiotechnology, and biodiversity applications to the regional population of northeastern Argentina.
• Applied Biological Research Programs Multi-disciplinary research programs spanning conservation biology, ecology, molecular genetics, cytogenetics, ethnobiology, biotoxicology, tropical and subtropical diseases, and forest ecophysiology, delivered through 14+ specialized research groups serving government agencies, conservation organizations, healthcare providers, and the scientific community.
• Malacological Collection and Biological Reference Repository A reference collection of mollusks with an integrated tissue and DNA bank, dedicated to conserving, preserving, and documenting mollusk biodiversity of Argentina — especially Misiones province — and providing scientific access to specimens and genetic material for the research community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published over 120 peer-reviewed scientific articles in 2022 alone across leading international journals including Nature and ISME Journal
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PANAFTOSA/SPV-OPS/OMS (Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center and Veterinary Public Health, Pan American Health Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Biotoxinology group (GrInBiTox) collaborates with PANAFTOSA/OPS/OMS on technical-scientific cooperation activities for the prevention, surveillance, care, and comprehensive management of venomous animal accidents in the Americas Region. This partnership contributes to evidence generation for public health policy, biotechnological innovation, and comprehensive envenomation management strategies in Argentina and the region.
• Red Argentina de Genética de Moluscos (Argentine Mollusk Genetics Network)coreOthersThe GIGeMol group coordinates the Argentine Mollusk Genetics Network, linking various Argentine working groups interested in mollusk genetics research.
• Red Latinoamericana de Genética de Moluscos (Latin American Mollusk Genetics Network)coreOthersThe GIGeMol group coordinates the Latin American Mollusk Genetics Network, linking research groups across Latin American countries for collaborative mollusk genetics research.
• Laboratorio de Citogenética y Genética Humana (LACyGH) - FCEQyNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GIGA group (Applied Genetics) developed its service platform in association with the Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Human Genetics (LACyGH) of the Faculty of Exact, Chemical and Natural Sciences (FCEQyN). This association aims to expand services offered, increase analytical capacity, and leverage service-transfer with research to develop novel diagnostic methods.
• UNILA (Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana), Foz do Iguaçu, BrazilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Antonio de la Peña from UNILA on the doctoral project of Lucía Cariola studying European immigrant colonies in northern Misiones, as part of the Ethnobiology group's research on forest plantations and family farming systems.
• Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP) - Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica AplicadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dra. Ma. Lelia Pochettino from UNLP on the ethnobotanical project of Violeta Furlán on family gardens in Puerto Iguazú multi-ethnic settlements, and on the postdoctoral project of Pablo Stampella on Jesuitical garden traces.
• Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (UNNE) - Dr. Héctor KellerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the doctoral project of Jorge Araujo studying edible xylophagous beetle larvae among Guaraní communities in western Misiones, co-directed by Dr. Héctor Keller of UNNE and Dra. Norma Hilgert of IBS.
• University of Wrocław, Poland - Faculty of AnthropologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Monika Kujawska, anthropologist and PhD at Wrocław University, who is an associated researcher of the IBS Ethnobiology group, studying the use of natural resources by immigrants (particularly Polish and Paraguayan) and their descendants in northern Misiones.
• ANPCyT and SPU (Argentina) - Project D-TEC0025/13minorOthersThe GIGA genetic services platform received support from the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion (ANPCyT) and the Secretariat of University Policies (SPU) under project D-TEC0025/13, focusing on services and technology transfer in applied genetics and genomics.
• Nature Science Initiative, IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Raman Kumar of Nature Science Initiative on the nesting ecology of the Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus) in northern India, the world's largest existing picid species, which nests in cooperative groups.
• CeIBA (Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mammal Ecology and Conservation group includes associated researchers from the civil association Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico (CeIBA), supporting interdisciplinary conservation research in the Atlantic Forest.
• CICyTTP-CONICET (Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas Provinciales)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with CICyTTP-CONICET researchers (e.g., Virginia Quiroga) on studies of waterbird communities and Yellow Cardinal conservation in protected and non-protected areas in Entre Ríos.
• Maurício Sedrez dos Reis (Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dr. Maurício Sedrez dos Reis on the doctoral project of Daily García studying cultural conservation, use, and management of wild Euterpe edulis populations in Peninsula Andresito, Misiones.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA): Brazil's national public research institute for Amazonian biodiversity, genetics, and tropical disease research. Direct regional peer operating under a similar government-research model focused on tropical ecosystems.
• CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza): Latin American tropical agricultural and natural-resources research center. Comparable as a regional, publicly funded research institute addressing tropical biodiversity, agroforestry, and ecosystem management.
• Instituto de Ecología Regional (IER-UNT): Argentine regional ecology research institute affiliated with Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Comparable as a publicly funded research unit studying subtropical ecosystems and biodiversity in northwestern Argentina.
• IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA): CONICET-affiliated institute of ecology, genetics, and evolution of Buenos Aires, hosted at UBA. Comparable as a peer CONICET research unit with overlapping disciplines in genetics, ecology, and evolutionary biology.
• INIBIOMA (CONICET-UNComahue): Argentine CONICET research institute focused on biodiversity, ecology, and environmental science, hosted at Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Directly comparable as a publicly funded, multi-group biological research institute with a similar mandate and headcount range.

Regional players

• Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina: Argentina's principal WWF-affiliated conservation NGO, operating in Misiones and other key biodiversity regions. Comparable as a regional conservation organization that both consumes and produces conservation science in the same geographies IBS studies.

Broad incumbents

• Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz): Brazilian federal public-health and biomedical research foundation with significant tropical disease and zoonotic surveillance work. Comparable as a larger public-sector incumbent in Latin American tropical and subtropical disease research.
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI): Panama-based branch of the Smithsonian Institution conducting tropical ecological and evolutionary research. Comparable as a publicly funded, internationally staffed tropical-biology research institute with multi-decadal datasets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ibs.unam.conicet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituto-de-biolog%C3%ADa-subtropical-conicet-unam-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM)