EBRC has been named a key partner in the newly launched Global Center for Biofoundry Applications (GCBA), which was awarded funding in October 2024 as part of the NSF Global Centers for Use-Inspired Research program. This global collaboration will drive innovation in the bioeconomy by addressing one of the field’s key challenges: the lack of global standards for biofoundry applications.
The GCBA will go beyond just technical innovation. It aims to create comprehensive frameworks for ethics and governance, promote public engagement, and develop education initiatives—all aimed at fostering a responsible and inclusive biofoundry community worldwide. These efforts will accelerate the practical application of engineering biology to address critical challenges.
This international effort brings together over 30 investigators from five countries and seven leading biofoundries, including:
- iBioFAB at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Agile BioFoundry supported by the U.S. Department of Energy
- Living Measurement Systems Foundry at NIST
- London Biofoundry at Imperial College London
- FinBioFAB at VTT Technical Research Centre
- Kobe BioFoundry at Kobe University
- Korea Biofoundry at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB)
Additionally, experts from institutions including Arizona State University, the University of Edinburgh, Osaka University, the University of Tokyo, Keio University, Aalto University, and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) will contribute to the GCBA’s success.
The GCBA is one of six new centers funded through the NSF Global Centers program, representing an investment of nearly $82 million by NSF and its international partners, including agencies from Canada, Finland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom. These centers will address critical global challenges, such as air pollution reduction, waste management, food security, the development of sustainable bioplastics, biofuel production, and leveraging seaweed for sustainable fuel and food production. We are proud that EBRC members are involved as leaders and collaborators in several of these transformative centers, helping to advance global solutions through engineering biology.
We look forward to sharing more updates with you as this exciting project progresses! In the meantime, please also check out our other projects building standards across the engineering biology ecosystem.