Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID Bern)

What Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID Bern) does

MCID Bern is a multidisciplinary strategic research center at the University of Bern, established in January 2021 with a founding donation from the Vinetum Foundation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It organizes more than 80 academic members across seven thematic clusters (Immunity, Epidemiology, Microbiology, Neglected Diseases, Patient-Focused Research, Society and Law, Economics) and operates three core technology platforms: the BEready household-based pandemic preparedness cohort (1,500+ households targeted in Canton Bern, with remote data and self-collected biological samples including pets), the BioPreparedness BioBank (BSL3 facility with VITA/NORMA certifications, -80°C robotic storage, BIMS, and a yeast-based synthetic genomics pipeline, coordinated with Spiez Laboratory and IVI for BSL4 pathogens), and the Ethics and Policy Lab (science-policy translation and ethical guidance, supported by an FSVO three-year mandate and SNSF NRP 79 funding).

The center's customers are Swiss public-sector and academic entities rather than commercial buyers: government agencies (FSVO, public health authorities) commission applied research and policy advice, University of Bern researchers access BioBank services and project funding, and the Canton Bern population contributes to the BEready cohort. Revenue mechanics combine foundation donations (Vinetum), competitive research grants (SNSF, NRP 79), government mandates (FSVO), and fee-for-service biobank access on a pay-as-you-go basis with preferential rates for MCID members; no commercial pricing is publicly disclosed. GTM is community-led through research publications, the quarterly 'The SPREAD' newsletter, seminars, symposia (GCB Annual Symposium, Epizone), workshops, and public engagement events such as the BLAME documentary screening.

As a non-profit academic institution under the University of Bern's Vetsuisse Faculty, MCID is not structured for equity investment. The 31 internally funded projects between June 2021 and September 2024, scaling cohort enrollment, expanding government mandates, and accumulating certifications (VITA, NORMA) and partnerships (Spiez Laboratory, IVI, Swiss Biobanking Platform, OCCR, Franxini Project) together describe an institution in active buildout of its One Health research and policy-advisory footprint.

Name

Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID Bern)

Legal name

Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID)

Website

https://mcid.unibe.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MCID Bern is a non-profit multidisciplinary research center at the University of Bern that studies infectious disease risks through the BEready population cohort, the BioPreparedness BioBank (BSL3/BSL4), and the Ethics and Policy Lab, serving Swiss academic researchers, government agencies, and the Canton Bern public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Infectious Disease Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAJAIAA

National Public Health Reference Laboratories

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Public Health Laboratories & Reference Testing Networks

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)

Keywords

• Infectious disease research
• Pandemic preparedness
• Biobanking services
• Public health policy
• Epidemiology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Funding and Grants: MCID receives funding through research project grants from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), National Research Programme NRP 79 'Advancing 3R', and other funding bodies. The center has funded 31 research projects through project funding calls between June 2021 and September 2024.
2. Foundation Donations: The launch of MCID was made possible through a generous donation by the Vinetum Foundation. Ongoing support may include foundation funding.
3. BioBank Services: The BioPreparedness BioBank provides fee-based services to researchers including pathogen access, synthetic genome production, storage, and shipment. Preferential rates for MCID members.
4. Government Mandates: MCID Ethics and Policy Lab receives mandates from government bodies such as the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) for applied research projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MCID is a multidisciplinary academic research center that delivers infectious disease research, biobanking services for high-consequence pathogens, population-level pandemic preparedness cohort research, and policy/ethics advisory services. Its core offerings are organized around three platforms — the BEready Cohort (longitudinal household-based pandemic preparedness study), the BioPreparedness BioBank (certified storage and synthetic genomics for pathogens), and the Ethics and Policy Lab (science-policy interface) — complemented by funded research projects across seven thematic clusters.

Product overview

MCID is a multidisciplinary strategic research center at the University of Bern with three interconnected Core Activities: the BEready Cohort (pandemic preparedness population study), the BioPreparedness BioBank (high-pathogen storage facility), and the Ethics and Policy Lab (science-policy interface). The center funds over 30 research projects across seven thematic clusters and publishes the quarterly 'The SPREAD' newsletter. These programs operate collaboratively to study and mitigate healthcare, societal, ethical, and economic risks from infectious diseases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BEready Cohort
• BioPreparedness BioBank

Quantifiable outcome

• 31 research projects funded between June 2021 and September 2024
• +3 more outcomes

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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spiez LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with MCID BioPreparedness BioBank for curation of highest-risk (BSL4) pathogens and coordinated standardization and centralization of pathogen sample management.
• Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for handling highest-risk category pathogens and coordinating research on high-consequence pathogens within the BioPreparedness BioBank framework.
• Swiss Universities (swissuniversities)minorOthersPartner organization shown in website footer, indicating institutional affiliation with Swiss university consortium.
• Swiss Biobanking PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCID BioPreparedness BioBank awarded VITA and NORMA labels by Swiss Biobanking Platform, demonstrating compliance with national biobanking standards for quality, ethics, and operational processes.
• Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research (OCCR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint boot camp on politics with OCCR held June 2023, co-organized by MCID Ethics and Policy Lab. Both centers are strategic research centers at University of Bern.
• Franxini ProjectminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFranxini Project provides political training boot camp content used by MCID Ethics and Policy Lab to train researchers in engaging with Swiss political system.
• Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year mandate awarded to Ethics and Policy Lab for research on policy acceptance for disease control measures in household pets. FSVO is Swiss federal government agency.
• Swiss Biorisk AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in hosting events such as the BLAME documentary preview screening on virology, public trust, and politics.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI): Large German government research center covering infectious disease biology, immunology, and epidemiology. Comparable in scope across clusters but operates at much greater scale and with a more translational/biotech orientation than MCID.
• Robert Koch Institute (RKI): Germany's federal public health reference and surveillance agency. Comparable in role for infectious-disease policy advice, cohort/surveillance programs, and pathogen reference work, though operating at a national scale well beyond MCID.
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): EU agency for infectious disease surveillance, risk assessment, and guidance. Comparable in the policy-advisory dimension of MCID's work, but operating at a pan-European rather than cantonal level.
• Institut Pasteur: Historic French research foundation with a global network of institutes focused on infectious disease biology, epidemiology, and public health. Comparable in its integrated research-to-public-health model, but at vastly larger international scale.
• Karolinska Institutet (Infectious Disease / Global Public Health research): Major Swedish medical university with strong infectious disease, immunology, and global public health research portfolios. Comparable in multidisciplinary infectious disease research and clinical-academic integration, but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM): German national reference center for tropical and emerging infectious diseases, with BSL3/BSL4 facilities and a research-to-policy mission. Mirrors MCID's blend of high-containment pathogen research, epidemiology, and public-health advisory.
• Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH): Swiss-based multidisciplinary institute combining biomedical, epidemiological, and social science research on infectious diseases, with global health programs. Closely comparable in mission, One Health orientation, and Swiss public-funder relationship, but at much larger national scale.
• Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI): German federal animal health research institute, with strong emphasis on zoonoses and One Health. Comparable in veterinary and zoonotic infectious disease research, and analogous in its combination of basic research, reference functions, and policy advisory.
• Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI): Swiss federal institute handling high-consequence animal and zoonotic viral diseases, including BSL3/BSL4 work. Already a core partner of MCID's BioBank and directly comparable in pathogen focus and biosafety profile.
• Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases (EPIC), University Hospital Geneva: Swiss academic center focused on emerging viral disease diagnostics, surveillance, and high-containment pathogen work. Highly comparable to MCID's BioPreparedness BioBank and virology research within the Microbiology cluster.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MCIDBern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcidbern

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases (MCID Bern)