Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology UJ

What Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology UJ does

Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology UJ (MCB) is a multidisciplinary biotechnology research center operating as a unit of Jagiellonian University (Uniwersytet Jagielloński), Poland's oldest university founded in 1364, located at ul. Gronostajowa 7A in Kraków. Established in 2010 and operationally launched in 2014 with a Max Planck Society joint laboratory, MCB hosts 19 active research groups spanning structural biology, proteomics, virology, bioinformatics, computational genomics, microbial genomics, chromatin biology, photobiology, plant molecular biology, and nanomedicine. The center operates 10 core facilities — including cryo-EM infrastructure, protein crystallography, genomics, proteomics and mass spectrometry, cell banking, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, biomolecular interaction analysis, and an animal facility — that are shared across research groups and partner institutions.

MCB serves scientific end-users through doctoral training (11 PhD positions per cohort via the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences), competitive research output (notable 2026 publications in Nature Communications on a global urban RNA virus atlas and in Nucleic Acids Research on ruthenium/osmium chromatin recognition with EPFL), and large-scale international collaborations via the MetaSUB Consortium and Horizon Europe Twinning programs. Major current initiatives include the IMPACT-Cell Twinning project (€1.49M, 2026–2029) with EMBL and three other European partners, the TwinMed digital twin technologies project, and the POL-INSTRUCT drug discovery platform, both placed on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures in 2026.

The center has no commercial pricing or product revenue; it operates entirely on competitive public grant funding from Polish agencies (NCN, NAWA, Ministry of Science), the European Commission (Horizon Europe, Dioscuri Programme co-managed with Max Planck Society), and institutional support from Jagiellonian University. GTM motion is community-led — recruiting PhD students, attracting independent research group leaders through Dioscuri and TOP200 NAWA, and partnering with leading European research institutions for knowledge transfer.

Name

Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology UJ

Legal name

Małopolskie Centrum Biotechnologii - Uniwersytet Jagielloński

Website

https://mcb.uj.edu.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology UJ is a non-profit biotechnology research center within Jagiellonian University in Kraków, operating 19 research groups and 10 core facilities (cryo-EM, proteomics, genomics) funded entirely through public grants from Polish and European sources, with doctoral training and international Twinning collaborations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Biotechnology Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAI

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYHLAGADAF

Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services

SECONDARYHLAGAEAD

Genomics & Molecular Diagnostics (Trial Support)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Central Labs & Clinical Diagnostics Services (Trial Support)

SECONDARYHLAGAEAF

Microbiology & Infectious Disease Testing (Trial Support)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Central Labs & Clinical Diagnostics Services (Trial Support)

SECONDARYHLAGANAE

Transcriptomics & Gene Expression Profiling Services

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Specialty Lab Services (Genomics/Proteomics/Cellomics)

Keywords

• Biotechnology research
• Structural biology
• Proteomics services
• Genomics research
• Academic research institutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Kraków

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants: Funded primarily through competitive national grants from Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN), European Commission Horizon Europe programs, and international funding bodies including NAWA, with specific projects like OPUS, SONATA, and Twinning providing dedicated research financing
2. Twinning Project Funding: European Commission Twinning grant of 1,493,592.73 euro for IMPACT-Cell project on proteomics and structural biology, providing 36 months of funding starting Q4 2026
3. NAWA TOP200 Programme: Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange funding for researcher mobility under European Commission's Choose Europe for Science initiative, securing 2,377,600 PLN for Dr. Schacherl's independent research group
4. Dioscuri Programme: Funding of 300,000 euro per year for 5 years (extendable) for establishing Dioscuri Centres, with budget including leader salary up to 100,000 euro annually and research team costs

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MCB UJ is a multidisciplinary academic research center conducting biotechnology research across 19 research groups and operating 10 core facilities (cell banking, genomics, structural biology, proteomics, animal facility, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, biomolecular interaction, media lab, virology/BSL3). It provides doctoral training in biomedical sciences, secures competitive research grants, and delivers scientific collaboration services for academia and industry partners.

Product overview

Małopolskie Centrum Biotechnologii (MCB) UJ is a research institution at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. It operates as a multi-laboratory research center with 20+ research groups across various biotechnology disciplines including molecular biology, virology, structural biology, bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, and cell biology. The center provides research infrastructure through its Core Facilities (Cell Bank, Genomics Core Facility, Structural Biology Core Facility, Proteomics Core Facility, Animal Facility, Confocal Microscopy, Flow Cytometry, and Biomolecular Interaction & Stability facilities), and offers educational programmes including doctoral training. Major research initiatives include the Horizon Europe IMPACT-Cell Twinning project, TwinMed digital twin technologies project, and POL-INSTRUCT drug discovery platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dioscuri Centre: A research excellence center established under the Dioscuri Programme, a joint initiative of Max Planck Society and National Science Centre, focused on interdisciplinary scientific excellence in Central and Eastern Europe. Currently led by Dr. Mateusz Sikora.

Products and services

• Cell Bank (Bank komórek) Core facility providing cell banking services for research purposes. Cell repository used by internal research groups and external academic collaborators.
• Genomics Core Facility (Centrum Genomiki) Core facility providing genomics services including sequencing and genomic analysis for research groups and external collaborators.
• Structural Biology Core Facility Core facility providing structural biology services and equipment for protein and molecular structure analysis, including cryo-EM and protein crystallography.
• Proteomics Core Facility (Pracownia Analiz Proteomicznych) Core facility providing proteomics and mass spectrometry services for protein analysis, supporting the IMPACT-Cell project.
• Animal Facility (Zwierzętarnia) Core facility for animal research and experimentation supporting biomedical research projects.
• Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope Advanced imaging facility providing laser scanning confocal microscopy capabilities for cellular and molecular imaging research.
• Flow Cytometry Core (Pracownia Cytometrii Przepływowej) Core facility providing flow cytometry services for cell analysis and sorting, supporting immunology and cell biology research.
• Biomolecular Interaction & Stability Core Facility Laboratory for characterizing biomolecular interactions and stability, supporting structural biology and drug discovery research.
• Media Lab Laboratory facility for media preparation and related services supporting cell biology and microbiology research.
• Doctoral Programme in Biomedical Sciences PhD programme at the Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences offering 11 positions for research at MCB in biomedical sciences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Identified nearly 55,000 RNA viruses with 77% previously unknown to science
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• ACK Cyfronet AGHmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2026Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet at AGH University of Science and Technology collaborating with MCB and Jagiellonian University on the TwinMed project for digital twin technologies in biomedicine.
• Wrocław Centre for Networking and Supercomputing (WCSS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2026Supercomputing centre at Wrocław University of Science and Technology partnering in TwinMed project, contributing high-performance computing infrastructure for biomedical applications and digital twin development.
• SanomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2026Research centre Sano collaborating on TwinMed project for digital twin technologies in biomedicine and personalized medicine, complementing other AI-driven research initiatives in Poland.
• Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (ICHB PAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 August 2026Leading Polish research institute leading the POL-INSTRUCT project for interdisciplinary platform supporting drug discovery, with MCB's Prof. Przemysław Grudnik coordinating as key consortium partner.
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026Swiss Federal Institute of Technology collaborating with MCB researchers led by Prof. Curtis Davey on research into how ruthenium and osmium compounds recognize chromatin, involving Prof. Ursula Röthlisberger, Dr. Andrea Levy, and Prof. Paul Dyson.
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2026European Molecular Biology Laboratory from Germany is one of four leading European scientific institutions partnering with MCB in the IMPACT-Cell Twinning project, contributing to knowledge transfer in advanced proteomics, post-translational modifications analysis, single-cell research methods, and high-resolution structural biology.
• Fundación para la Formación e Investigación Sanitarias de la Región de MurciacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2026Spanish healthcare research foundation participating as a partner institution in the IMPACT-Cell Twinning project, supporting transfer of knowledge and best practices in biomedical research.
• Syddansk Universitet (University of Southern Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2026Danish university participating as a partner in the IMPACT-Cell Twinning project, contributing expertise to the collaboration on proteomics and structural biology research.
• Lunds Universitet (Lund University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2026Swedish university as one of four European partner institutions in the IMPACT-Cell Twinning project, providing knowledge transfer and collaboration in cryo-electron tomography and computational modeling.
• Max Planck SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2026German research organization initiating the Dioscuri Programme, managed jointly with National Science Centre Poland, supporting establishment of scientific excellence centres in Central and Eastern Europe.
• MetaSUB ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2026International consortium coordinating global City Sampling Day initiative, with MCB's Dr. Paweł Łabaj initiating Kraków's participation in 2020, enabling analysis of nearly 3,000 samples from 102 cities.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences (ICHB PAN): Polish research institute specializing in bioorganic chemistry, molecular biology, and drug discovery. Direct partner in the POL-INSTRUCT project and serves as a coordinating institution for similar research themes.
• Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG): Germany-based research institute focused on molecular cell biology, genetics, and biophysics. Comparable as a European academic research center with strong grant funding model and core facility infrastructure, plus active Max Planck-MCB partnership.
• International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IIMCB): Warsaw-based Polish biomedical research institute with similar focus on molecular and cell biology, structural biology, and bioinformatics. Most direct comparable as a Polish academic research center with international scope and grant-funded operating model.
• Sano Centre for Computational Personalised Medicine: Polish research center focused on computational medicine and digital health. Direct partner in MCB's TwinMed project and operates a comparable international research centre model with grant funding from EU and national sources.

Regional players

• CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology: Brno-based Czech research consortium with life sciences and advanced materials research. Comparable as a Central European academic research center with similar structural biology and molecular medicine focus, plus EU funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI): German research center focused on infectious disease, microbiology, and immunology. Comparable for its virology research (relevant to MCB's ViroGenetics lab) and operations as a publicly funded research infrastructure with core facility model.
• MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB): UK research council laboratory with world-leading programs in structural biology, molecular biology, and cell biology. Comparable for its core facility model and Nobel-caliber output in overlapping research areas like cryo-EM and protein structure.
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: US-based biomedical and genomic research center with strong programs in structural biology, chemical biology, and infectious disease. Comparable for its core facility model, large-scale grant funding, and integration of computational biology with wet-lab research.
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL): Intergovernmental research organization in structural biology, proteomics, and genomics. Direct partner in MCB's IMPACT-Cell Twinning project and operates in overlapping research areas at significantly larger scale.
• Wellcome Sanger Institute: UK-based genomic research institute with focus on large-scale genomics, cancer, and infectious disease. Comparable for its genomics core capabilities, viral surveillance work (similar to MCB's MetaSUB RNA virus atlas), and academic grant-funded model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookpl-pl.facebook.com/MalopolskieCentrumBiotechnologii
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcbuj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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