About
about
Research and innovation across the full spectrum of biotech
Overview
QB3 is one of four California Institutes for Science and Innovation, a multicampus operation with departments on the UC campuses at Berkeley, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz. QB3’s domain is the “quantitative biosciences,” a multidisciplinary area encompassing the study of biology using techniques and technology derived from chemistry, physics, and computer science.
QB3 supports early-stage commercialization in biotech and pharma, and conducts basic and applied research. Commercialization programs, including incorporation, mentorship, and the Bakar Labs incubator, are largely run out of the QB3-Central office, currently at UC Berkeley. QB3 entrepreneurial programs welcome participants and founders from academia and industry, who need not have affiliations with UC.The institute was founded with the goal of laying the foundations of future industry in California.
QB3-Central also coordinates collaborative research bringing together scientists from all three campuses. The three campus divisions operate core facilities and administer research programs. See Research for details.
Our Team
The people who make things happen
Our core team, who run our operations across the spectrum from basic research to startup support. We’re always open to new ideas and initiatives.
Spotlight
Startup Alums
We’ve supported biotech startups since 2005 with incubator space, programming, and VC investment.
4D Molecular Therapeutics
4D Molecular Therapeutics develops gene therapies for patients with eye, lung, and heart conditions. The company is currently running four clinical trials, for Fabry disease, X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, and choroidemia, and recruiting for two: for cystic fibrosis and age-related macular degeneration. 4D was incorporated in 2013 through QB3 and incubated at QB3@953 (now an MBC Biolabs location). QB3 executive director David Schaffer is a co-founder.
Caribou Biosciences
Caribou Biosciences, a spinoff from the UC Berkeley lab of Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna, develops off-the-shelf CRISPR genome-edited cell therapies for patients with devastating diseases. The company has two trials in progress of CAR-T cell therapies for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Caribou was co-founded by CEO Rachel Haurwitz (PhD, UC Berkeley), incorporated through QB3, incubated at two QB3 facilities, and was an early portfolio company of QB3-affiliated VC firm Mission Bay Capital.
Pivot Bio
Pivot Bio manufactures living microbial-based nitrogen fertilizers, produced by fermentation. This replaces the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, thereby reducing greenhouse emissions. The technology also eliminates toxic fertilizer runoff. Pivot introduced the world’s first nitrogen-producing microbes to U.S. farmers in 2018. Since that time the company has introduced multiple microbial nitrogen products for wheat, sorghum and other small grains in addition to its flagship product for corn. Pivot was co-founded by CEO Karsten Temme (PhD, UC Berkeley) and CTO Alvin Tamsir (PhD, UCSF) and incubated at the QB3 Garage at UCSF.
Bolt Threads
Bolt Threads develops high-performance materials through sustainable, green processes. Their initial product was MicrosilkTM, inspired by spider dragline silk and produced through synthetic biology. Founded by CEO Dan Widmaier (PhD, UCSF), CTO David Breslauer (PhD, UC Berkeley, and Ethan Mirsky (PhD, UCSF), Bolt incubated for several years at the QB3 Garage at UCSF and was one of the Fund I investments by QB3-affiliated VC firm Mission Bay Capital. Further products include MyloTM mushroom leather and B-SilkTM protein, an alternative to silicone elastomers.
Past and Current
Companies
- Signum Surgical
- Nodexus
- Pionyr Immunotherapeutics
- Opus Bio
- pH Pharma
- ARIZ Precision Medicine
- Aucta Technologies
- DiscoDisc Bio
- Auricle
- ReCreate Bio
- Valera Health
- PuraCath Medical
- Satoris
- Foodsmart
- Spora Health
- imvaria
- Felix Biotechnology
- Exogen Bio
- Gemmus Pharma
- Nobell Foods
- GraphWear Technologies
- Visana Health
- Pharmajet
- Ripple Foods
- Meissa Vaccines
- Evolva
- VenomYx
- Eidos Therapeutics
- Zymergen
- InnaMed
- YourChoice Therapeutics
- Combinati
- Allotrope Medical
- Blumio
- Prellis Biologics
- Jennerex Biotherapeutics
- iSono Health
- Sontina Medical
- CV Ingenuity
- SeaChange Pharmaceuticals
- Applaud Medical
- Droplet
- Siluria Technologies
- TeselaGen
- Cell Design Labs
- Allopartis
- UroDev Medical
- Nano Precision Medical
- Vellum Biotechnologies
- Fullmoon Sensors
- Script Health
- Aurora Bio
- Catena Biosciences
- Siris Medical
- Laguna Health
- Panazee
- OneSkin
- Silver Creek Pharmaceuticals
- REGiMMUNE
- Replace Therapeutics
- Via Nova Therapeutics
- Tangible Science
- Cala Health
- Namocell
- Invitae
- Channel Medsystems
- Tunitas Therapeutics
- Bolt Threads
- Shade
- GT Medical Technologies
- Ohayo Valley
- mFluiDx
- InnoVein
- Serotiny
- Guided Clarity
- Sublime Therapeutics
- Evercrisp
- OOTify
- Zephyrus Biosciences
- Glyphic Biotechnologies
- Principia Biopharma
- Circle Pharma
- Suono Bio
- Mekonos
- Ablexis
- Solidus Bioscience
- Phyla
- SillaJen
- Miroculus
- Effector Therapeutics
- ChemiSense
- Orb
- Telo Therapeutics
- Reflexion Pharmaceuticals
- Mission Bio
- Minutia
- Indee Labs
- iMicrobes
- Privail
- Tiatros
- Kenota Health
- Madorra
- Scribe Biosciences
- Noleus Technologies
- Evren Technologies
- Safe H2O
- Lully
- Scaled Biolabs
- Addition Therapeutics
- Olfa Thera
- Perlumi
- Fountain Therapeutics
- NeuroSave
- ViewPoint Therapeutics
- Ribogenics
- CellSight Technologies
- CellFE
- Kilimanjaro Energy
- Knowledge Synthesis
- HepaTx
- Motum
- Wildtype
- Siolta Therapeutics
- Endometrics
- CinderBio
- GigaGen
- Kiverdi
- Survey Genomics
- Thea Health
- Photoswitch Biosciences
- Moving Analytics
- Profluent Bio
- Concha Labs
- Karuna Labs
- Lucira Health
- Ciznor
- Sprint Synthesis
- Alio
- Bikanta
- Aura Health
- Delinia
- Pivot Bio
- Emme
- Riffyn
- Intelligent Implants
- Blueprint Genetics
- Atreca
- DotLab
- EvolveMol
- Teralytic
- EYSZ
- Cibiem
- Trace Genomics
- Mae
- Invenio Imaging
- Seven Starling
- Sequenta
- Invenio
- Chameleon Biosciences
- Provenance Biopharmaceuticals
- G-Tech Medical
- Scuba Probe Technologies
- Arterys
- Delpor
- Redwood Bioscience
- InkSpace Imaging
- Mission Barns
- Iris Medicine
- Zeto
- Tueo Health
- BillionToOne
- Genetic Foresight
- Samay
- Raydiant Oximetry
- 712 North
- Delve Therapeutics
- Alessa Therapeutics
- Razzberry
- Symic Biomedical
- Cor
- ResVita Bio
- Radar Therapeutics
- Inapill
- Multerra Bio
- 4D Molecular Therapeutics
- Concentric Analgesics
- Zenflow
- Cyclica
- Darmiyan
- Liquidity Nanotech
- Insamo
- Bisu
- Caribou Biosciences
- Deep Blue Medical Advances
- Fauna Bio
- Dextera Biosciences
- LogicInk
- Calithera Biosciences
- Potrero Medical
- XP Health
- AccuraGen Holdings
- Perceptive Navigation
- HOPO Therapeutics
- Tierra Biosciences
- Abreos Biosciences
- Bloomlife
- Globavir
- Cypre
- Ray Therapeutics
- Bell Biosystems
- SyntheX
- OncoSynergy
- Luma Therapeutics
- Omniox
- Novela Neurotech
- Omni Therapeutics
- Dropprint Genomics
- AOBiome
- Lypro Biosciences
- Catalia Health
- Shasqi
- Engine Biosciences
- Elenae
- Chrono Therapeutics
- Digbi Health
- DABOmics
- Regel Therapeutics
- iPierian
- Safely Health
- BabyNoggin
- Assembly Biosciences
- Sano
- Aromyx
- AEENA Dx
- MyNurse
- AnimalBiome
- Aluna
- MiNDERA Corporation
- Fluxion Biosciences
- BioChoric
- Alector
- Xcell Biosciences
- NeuraLace Medical
- CureMetrix
- Revitope Oncology
- Unnatural Products
- Axent Biosciences
- Umaro Foods
- Lygos
- KuriBio
- Catena Biosciences
- Diadem Biotherapeutics
- Encoded Therapeutics
- Minutia
- Valitor
- Alpha Medical
- Siren Care
- Coagulant Therapeutics
- Novonate
- Obsidio
- Epalex
- Amarantus BioSciences
- Calyx
- Vivace Therapeutics
- Andes Biotechnologies
- SiteOne Therapeutics
- Carmot Therapeutics
- Velano Vascular
- Novome Biotechnologies
- Third Pole
- Zoetic Data
- Black Sheep Foods
- Fibralign Corporation
- Ontera
- MetaMixis
- Pendulum Therapeutics
- True North Therapeutics
- Vicinitas Therapeutics
- Xip
- Arcadia Science
- Glycomine
- Verinomics
- ApniCure
- MD Ally
- Therini Bio
- General Automation Lab Technologies
- Sampling Human
- Ria Health
- Aikium
- HPI Biosciences
- Aquinox Pharmaceuticals
- Nosis Bio
- Mekonos
- 11 Health
- Precision NanoSystem
- River Health
- Avisi Technologies
- Intact Therapeutics
- Genesis DNA
- Correlia Biosystems
- Osprey Pharmaceuticals USA
- Perlara
- GenEdit
- Palisade Therapeutics