Institute for Collabrative Biotechnolgies

What Institute for Collabrative Biotechnolgies does

The Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB) is an Army-sponsored University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) established in 2003 and led by the University of California, Santa Barbara, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the California Institute of Technology. ICB conducts unclassified basic scientific research through interdisciplinary teams of biologists, chemists, physicists, psychologists, and engineers, organized around four focus areas: Systems and Synthetic Biology, Biologically-Enabled Materials, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Advanced Scientific Research. Its core research output includes field-programmable biomolecular circuits, bio-derived thermoelectric gels and hybrid materials, broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds, and cognitive-performance neuroscience for complex operational environments.

ICB does not sell commercial products or services. Its revenue model is government-grant funding, primarily from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Army Research Office under a multi-year UARC cooperative agreement — most recently a $48 million, three-year renewal in 2013-2014 — supplemented by grants from DOE, NSF, NIH, and private foundations (Keck, NFL-GE, MacArthur). Customer segments are the U.S. Government/Defense as the primary sponsor, the academic research community as the execution vehicle, and healthcare providers as occasional clinical collaborators (e.g., Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for COVID-19/influenza diagnostics). Distribution of research outputs occurs through peer-reviewed publications, academic conferences, technology transfer to industry partners, and start-up formation, rather than through commercial sales channels. Notable translational outputs include the smaRT-LAMP smartphone diagnostic, focused-ultrasound-activated therapeutic bacteria for cancer treatment, and the COE2-2hexyl broad-spectrum antimicrobial.

Name

Institute for Collabrative Biotechnolgies

Legal name

Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies

Website

https://icb.ucsb.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies is an Army-sponsored University Affiliated Research Center led by UC Santa Barbara with MIT and Caltech, conducting unclassified interdisciplinary basic research in synthetic biology, biologically-enabled materials, and cognitive neuroscience for U.S. defense and civilian applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biotechnology 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

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM), Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Biotechnology research
• University research center
• Synthetic biology
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Biologically enabled materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. U.S. Army Research Center Funding: ICB is an Army-sponsored University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) conducting unclassified basic scientific research through government funding from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Army Research Office

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB) is an Army-sponsored University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) that conducts unclassified basic scientific research through interdisciplinary teams of biologists, chemists, physicists, psychologists, and engineers from UCSB, MIT, and Caltech. The institute develops biologically inspired technological innovations across four research focus areas: Systems and Synthetic Biology, Biologically-Enabled Materials, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Advanced Scientific Research. Research outputs include diagnostic assays, therapeutic compounds, engineered biomaterials, and patented inventions funded primarily through U.S. Army contracts and government grants.

Product overview

The Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB) is a research institute, not a commercial product company. It conducts unclassified basic scientific research through interdisciplinary collaboration among UCSB, MIT, and Caltech. ICB's research focus areas include Biologically-Enabled Materials, Cognitive Neuroscience, Systems and Synthetic Biology, and Advanced Scientific Research. While ICB develops diagnostic and therapeutic technologies through its research programs, it does not commercialize products in the traditional sense. Notable research outputs include a smartphone-based COVID-19/flu detection system, focused ultrasound-activated therapeutic bacteria for cancer treatment, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Systems and Synthetic Biology Research Program Interdisciplinary research program focused on understanding biological networks and circuits, synthesis of biomaterials and biocircuits, manipulation of cellular behavior, inter-species translation via systems biology models, field-programmable biomolecular circuits, engineered sense-and-respond enzyme complexes, and microbial traps. Conducted for the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and other government sponsors.
• Biologically-Enabled Materials Research Program Research program on biochemical syntheses of new materials, biotic-abiotic interactions and interfaces, harnessing membrane proteins in hybrid materials, bio-catalysts for stereoselective syntheses, 3D printing with biomolecule functionalities, and bio-derived thermoelectric gels. Led by ICB Co-Director Bradley Chmelka.
• Cognitive Neuroscience Research Program Research program investigating core components of human cognition essential for performance in complex environments including operational planning, navigating, decision making, and sustaining task prioritization, using brain imaging, electrophysiology, and virtual environments. Formerly co-led by Scott Grafton and now by Barry Giesbrecht.
• Advanced Scientific Research Task Orders Task Order research projects focused on specific themes identified by sponsoring government agencies, typically comprising one or more research projects led by ICB faculty from UCSB, Caltech, or MIT. Includes projects such as engineering reversible assembly of reflectin for signature management, diatom engineering, microbial chemical factories, and silicon-cell circuits for diagnostics.
• smaRT-LAMP SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Detection Assay Smartphone-based real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification diagnostic assay developed by ICB researchers and the UCSB/Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital team, detecting SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses from saliva samples in approximately 25 minutes without specialized equipment.
• Focused Ultrasound-Activated Therapeutic Bacteria Genetically engineered therapeutic bacteria remotely controlled by thermal focused ultrasound (FUS) for cancer treatment, where FUS activates bacteria to release anti-cancer immunotherapy specifically within tumors.
• COE2-2hexyl Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Novel conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE) compound developed by an ICB team demonstrating broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant pathogens without evoking bacterial resistance, intended for treating refractory bacteremia.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of PennsylvaniaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration with UPenn on study of acquired metabolism and biological lifestyles involving Paramecium bursaria research.
• Santa Barbara Cottage HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaborative research with UCSB and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital physicians on COVID-19 and influenza testing development.
• Industry PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020ICB collaborates with industry partners for technology transfer and commercialization of research innovations including start-up companies formed from ICB research.
• NFL and GE (Head Health Challenge)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Scott Grafton's team participated in the $20-million NFL-GE Head Health Challenge research initiative for mild traumatic brain injury research.
• U.S. Army Research LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Ongoing collaborative research between ARL scientists and ICB academic researchers to shape basic research into useful applications in biotechnology.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003One of three core university partners (along with UCSB and Caltech) in the interdisciplinary research alliance. MIT faculty participate in all research focus areas.
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003One of three core university partners in the interdisciplinary research alliance. Caltech faculty participate in all research focus areas.
• University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Lead institution in the ICB alliance. UCSB hosts the main administrative headquarters and coordinates research activities with MIT and Caltech.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allen Institute: Private nonprofit bioscience research institute conducting large-scale basic research programs. Comparable as a nonprofit research organization focused on basic science with translational ambitions, though privately funded rather than federally.
• Software Engineering Institute (SEI): Carnegie Mellon University-affiliated FFRDC sponsored by the DOD. Comparable as another DOD-sponsored university-affiliated research center operating under a long-term federal contract structure.
• Gladstone Institutes: UCSF-affiliated independent biomedical research institute focused on cardiovascular, neurological, and infectious disease. Comparable as a university-affiliated nonprofit research organization conducting basic and translational biomedical research.
• Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research: MIT-based cancer research institute combining engineering, biology, and materials science. Comparable as a university-based interdisciplinary biomedical research center working on diagnostics, therapeutics, and bioengineering, with MIT as an ICB partner.
• Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering: Harvard University-based interdisciplinary research institute developing bio-inspired materials, synthetic biology, and therapeutic technologies. Highly comparable as a university-affiliated biotech research consortium with translational outputs.
• Beckman Institute at Caltech: Caltech-based interdisciplinary research institute studying biological intelligence, chemistry, and materials. Comparable as a Caltech-affiliated interdisciplinary research center where ICB collaborators work and that pursues analogous biologically-inspired research.

Broad incumbents

• MIT Lincoln Laboratory: DOD-funded Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) operated by MIT. Comparable as another federally sponsored MIT-affiliated research entity, though focused on national security and aerospace rather than biotechnology.
• Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL): University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) operated by Johns Hopkins. Directly comparable as another UARC working with federal sponsors (including DOD) on applied research programs across multiple disciplines.

Others

• DARPA: U.S. DOD agency funding high-risk, high-reward research. A potential future sponsor for ICB's advanced biotech programs and a comparable funder of translational bioengineering research at universities.
• Army Research Laboratory (ARL): U.S. Army's primary in-house basic research laboratory. ICB's primary sponsor and a partner on collaborative research, providing funding and direction rather than competing with ICB directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-collabrative-biotechnolgies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Collabrative Biotechnolgies