Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Barbara

What Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Barbara does

The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) at the University of California, Santa Barbara is a public academic department within the University of California system. It provides undergraduate and graduate (MS/PhD) biology education and supports faculty-driven research across cell biology, developmental biology, genetics and genomics, neuroscience, cancer biology, infectious disease, and plant biology. The department maintains approximately 36 faculty, ~37 administrative and technical staff, and 50+ graduate students, and its Biology Greenhouse teaching collection reaches over 2,000 students per year. Core research products are organized around specialized, jointly-stewarded facilities: the NRI-MCDB Microscopy Facility (founded 1990, housing confocal, STED, electron, and live-cell imaging), UCSB Marine Operations (boating, diving, seawater infrastructure, and fabrication), the Biology Greenhouse (Alpine, NSF, Schuyler, and Wooden greenhouses), and the EEMB Shop (custom fabrication). Notable faculty have produced publications in Science, Nature, and PNAS and generated commercial IP, including the spin-off Santa Barbara Nutrients, Inc. by Thomas Weimbs.

The department's go-to-market is community-led and admissions-driven: it recruits undergraduate students through UCSB admissions, recruits graduate students through an annual admissions cycle, and provides internal services to the campus research community. Faculty pursue extramural funding primarily from federal agencies (NIH, NSF, Beckman Foundation) and private philanthropy, and the department holds endowed chairs and named positions such as the Roy and Janet Hardiman Interdisciplinary Chair. Administrative functions include business operations, contracts and grants, finance, academic personnel, purchasing, and IT support via the campus Life Sciences Computing Group (LSCG).

Revenue streams combine state and federal appropriations, indirect-cost recovery on research grants, standard UC tuition and fees (billed quarterly), private donations and endowments, and licensing/royalty-style income from technology transfer such as the Weimbs spin-off. The department operates as a cost center inside UC Santa Barbara rather than a commercial enterprise; department-level revenue is not publicly disclosed. Strategic relevance for an external audience is primarily as a research-output and talent-pipeline node within the UC system rather than as a standalone business.

Name

Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Barbara

Legal name

Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Website

https://mcdb.ucsb.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UC Santa Barbara is a public academic department offering undergraduate and graduate biology programs and supporting faculty research in cell biology, genetics, neuroscience, and biomedical sciences through shared microscopy, marine, and greenhouse facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Academic Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAI

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based)

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

Keywords

• Molecular biology research
• Graduate biology education
• Microscopy imaging services
• Marine science operations
• Academic research department

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Barbara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (State/Federal): As a UC system institution, primary funding from state allocations and federal research grants including NIH, NSF, and other research agencies
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Faculty investigators secured pre- and post-award grants managing research funding from federal and private sources
3. Tuition and Fees: Standard UC system tuition and fees from undergraduate and graduate students
4. Technology Transfer / Spin-off: Dr. Thomas Weimbs founded Santa Barbara Nutrients, Inc. as a commercial spin-off from research
5. Donations and Endowments: Private philanthropy including department-specific giving, endowed chairs, and research support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) at UC Santa Barbara is an academic department that delivers undergraduate and graduate education in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, and operates shared research facilities including the NRI-MCDB Microscopy Facility, UCSB Marine Operations, the Biology Greenhouse, and the EEMB Shop. Faculty conduct research in cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, neuroscience, and biomedical sciences, and the department manages associated contracts, grants, and administrative services.

Product overview

The Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB) at UC Santa Barbara is an academic department offering educational programs and research facilities. The department operates as a platform providing academic programs (Graduate and Undergraduate), research facilities, and administrative services. Core facilities include the NRI-MCDB Microscopy Facility for advanced microscopy services, Marine Operations for marine science support, the Biology Greenhouse for botanical research, and the EEMB Shop for technical fabrication services. Research labs focus on areas including cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, neuroscience, and biomedical sciences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MCDB Graduate Program Graduate-level academic program in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology offering Ph.D. and Master's degree pathways for prospective graduate students seeking advanced research training.
• Biology Undergraduate Program Undergraduate academic program providing biology education and training for students pursuing careers in biological sciences through lectures, laboratories, and research opportunities.
• NRI-MCDB Microscopy Facility State-of-the-art microscopy facility jointly maintained with the Neuroscience Research Institute, providing confocal, electron, STED, and live cell imaging instruments along with training for campus-wide research groups.
• UCSB Marine Operations Marine science support system providing scientific boating, diving support, animal collections, biological/oceanographic design and fabrication, and seawater infrastructure to the campus marine science community.
• UCSB Biology Greenhouse Botanical research facility providing growing environments for plant-based disciplines including genetics, physiology, phenology, evolution, and ecology, supporting the University's Teaching Collection that serves over 2,000 students annually.
• EEMB Shop Technical workshop facility providing machine tools, welding, refrigeration, electrical repair, fabrication, carpentry, plumbing, and plexiglass/glass working services for UCSB faculty, researchers, and students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 students served annually through biology education programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Neuroscience Research Institute (NRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Jointly maintains the NRI-MCDB Microscopy Facility founded in 1990. The facility promotes microscopy education and facilitates microscopy in research for research groups campuswide. NRI and MCDB share operational responsibility and support.
• Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCSB Marine Operations is managed by collaboration between EEMB and EH&S. EH&S provides safety oversight including diving and boating safety training and certification through Webdiver Tracking and Reporting system.
• Life Sciences Computing Group (LSCG)coreTechnology or IntegrationLSCG provides information technology services and technical support for UCSB Life Sciences, Chemistry, Earth Sciences and other campus organizations. Website developer/designer for MCDB and related departments.
• Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological RestorationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCSB center sharing expertise, time, and native plant starter materials with undergraduate greenhouse interns.
• Santa Barbara Botanic GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSharing expertise and time with undergraduate greenhouse interns for botanical education.
• United States Botanic GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated Amorphophallus titanum pollen during the 2013 Titan Arum bloom at UCSB.
• Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology (EEMB) DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEEMB Shop provides fabrication and technical services. MCDB and EEMB share staff including Paul Diaz for receiving supplies and Catherine Drake for Intro Bio coordination.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• UC Davis Department of Cell Biology: Sister UC department focused on cell biology, genetics, and biomedical research with comparable departmental structure and graduate training model.
• MIT Department of Biology: Top-tier research university department with overlapping scope in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology; comparable research funding scale and graduate program selectivity.
• Caltech Division of Biology and Biological Engineering: Elite research division with parallel activities in molecular/cellular/developmental biology, biomedical research, and graduate training. Comparable faculty credentials and grant capture.
• UCLA Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology: Shares the exact same departmental name and disciplinary scope (molecular, cellular, developmental biology) within the UC system. Closest direct peer across teaching, graduate training, and research areas.
• UC San Diego Division of Biological Sciences: Peer UC division covering molecular biology, genetics, and biomedical research with similar faculty scale and graduate program structure.
• Johns Hopkins Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics: Peer research department covering molecular biology and genetics with comparable research focus, faculty size, and graduate training model.
• UC Berkeley Department of Molecular and Cell Biology: Sister UC department with overlapping scope in molecular and cell biology, biomedical research, and graduate training. Comparable in scale, faculty mix, and research intensity.
• Harvard Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology: Peer research university department with closely aligned name and scope in molecular and cellular biology. Similar faculty caliber and high-impact research profile.
• Stanford Department of Biology: Top private research university with biology department covering molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. Similar faculty composition, grant capture, and graduate program structure.
• UCSF Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics: UC-system basic biomedical science department with similar research-intensive operating model (federal grants, graduate training) and high-impact publication output.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWluZMYNphMzbWBA3QPaKug
• Facebookfacebook.com/NRIMCDBMicroscopyFacility
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/department-of-molecular-cellular-and-developmental-biology-uc-santa-barbara

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, UC Santa Barbara