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iBioFoundry Grand Opening
Oct 8, 2025

IGB celebrates opening of iBioFoundry

Scientists, government officials and participants from around the world gathered on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus for the grand opening of the NSF iBioFoundry.

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NSF CAREER Award
Sep 11, 2025

Bioeconomy U: How Illinois is leading the bio-revolution

If you ate, filled your gas tank, took medicine, or did laundry today, you likely participated in the bioeconomy.In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, today’s bioeconomy touches nearly every aspect of our lives.

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
Sep 18, 2025

U of I takes step forward for science with opening of new biofoundry

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) – The University of Illinois took a step forward for science Thursday after opening its new biofoundry. Biofoundries are used to speed up biological research in labs. The University’s new iBioFoundry can combine AI and synthetic biology for other uses too.

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
July 1, 2025

Self-driving lab: AI and automated biology combine to improve enzymes

By combining artificial intelligence with automated robotics and synthetic biology, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have dramatically improved performance of two important industrial enzymes — and created a user-friendly, fast process to improve many more.

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
Oct 2, 2024

NSF to invest $5M in Global Center led by Zhao

Global Centers awards focus on advancing bioeconomy research to solve global challenges, whether by increasing crop resilience, converting plant matter or other biomass into fuel, or paving the way for biofoundries to scale-up applications of biotechnology for societal benefit…

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
Oct 2, 2024

NSF and international partners to invest $82M in 6 Global Centers in 2024

Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation and partner agencies in the U.S., Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United Kingdom announced funding awards totaling nearly $82 million in their Global Centers competition

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
Oct 1, 2024

NSF, international partners to invest nearly $10M in ASAP Global Center

The U.S. National Science Foundation and partner agencies in the U.S., Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United Kingdom announced funding of new international centers of excellence in their Global Centers competition.

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
Aug 29, 2025

CABBI team deploys robotic lab to revolutionize plant bioengineering

Researchers deployed a biofoundry – a laboratory integrating robotics, computer-aided design, and informatics – to make genetically engineered plants and used it to boost oil production in plant cells and even whole plants.

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
Aug 28, 2024

NSF invests in biofoundries to drive advances across science and engineering

The U.S. National Science Foundation has made five awards totaling $75 million to support the creation of five biofoundries that will spur innovation, provide tools and technologies to researchers nationwide, and help advance biology, biotechnology, and the broader science, technology, engineering and mathematics enterprise.

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
Aug 28, 2024

NSF funds new iBioFoundry at Illinois

Newly funded U.S. National Science Foundation iBioFoundry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will build on more than a decade of research at the U. of I. to integrate synthetic biology, laboratory automation and artificial intelligence to advance protein and cellular engineering. This is one of five new biofoundries to be established in the U.S.

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Nature Biotechnology Publication
May 15, 2024

IGB researchers awe Congress leaders with iBioFAB

The Computing Research Association, in collaboration with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Carnegie Mellon University, hosted Members of Congress and the public at the Robotics Showcase and Demo Day in Washington D.C., on April 30th. The event showcased exhibitors from across industry, academia, and government.

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NSF iBioFoundry
1206 W Gregory Dr, Urbana, IL, 61801
Email: contact@ibiofoundry.illinois.edu