Energy & Biosciences Institute
Created in 2007 the Energy & Biosciences Institute (EBI) is multi-institutional partnership
between the University of California (UC) Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(LBNL), and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The EBI was the first
research institution solely dedicated to the new field of energy bioscience. The original
industry sponsor, British Petroleum (BP), supported the institute for ten years with a focus
on exploring the application of modern biology to the energy sector.
After restructuring and rebranding to incorporate an expanded energy and biotechnology
portfolio, the name of the institute was formally changed to Energy & Biosciences Institute
and the mission updated to Research Toward a Clean Energy Future.
The scope of challenges and the potential for research to shape the advanced bioeconomy
is large, and the EBI is well-positioned to offer unparalleled access to a large and diverse
pool of science and engineering excellence via our unique three-campus partner network.
The EBI continues to stand out as a research institute in the way we diversify our research
portfolio and program offerings.
In March 2017, the EBI signed a five-year partnership with Shell to fund research aimed at
meeting the world’s growing energy demands based on environmentally, socially, and
economically responsible practices. This agreement was renewed for another five years in
February 2022. The EBI-Shell partnership currently supports a diverse range of projects
split among four core research areas: Advanced Separations, Circularity, Hydrogen Supply
Chain, and Nature-Based Solutions.
Entrepreneurial Business Incubator & Recharge Facility
With the understanding that steering innovative concepts through development and testing
to bring them to market is an exciting yet often challenging process, in 2017 the EBI
launched EBI 2 . Based in Koshland Hall on the UC Berkeley campus, EBI 2 promotes
research at the forefront of industry development and offers sustainability focused start-ups
well-equipped, dedicated research space in which to develop their products. Participating
companies also gain access to other UCB resources and expertise, and benefit from
frequent contact with other start-up companies forging their own solutions, as well as
industry executives, investors and entrepreneurs.
In February 2020, the EBI opened a new recharge facility on campus named EBI Labs. The
recharge facility provides scientists and professors access to exclusive and specialized lab
equipment such as GC-MS, LC-MS, and the liquid handling system to conduct research and
experiments, providing essential services to our campus community.
Structure
The Energy & Biosciences Institute offers the power of three remarkable institutions, three
integrated pillars: 1) Core Research, 2) Education & Outreach, and 3) Entrepreneurial
Stewardship, and three foundational research areas: 1) Energy Source, Carrier & Storage,
2) Decarbonization, and 3) Natural Resource Management.
The EBI model is different from most academic-industry partnerships that operate under a
research consortium model instead industry sponsors can develop unique research
portfolios that are firewalled to guaranteed independent access to EBI resources.
Additionally, the EBI provides a diverse and customized range of programs designed to
meet the unique requirements of our partners. These programs span the entire technology
value chain, encompassing everything from supporting fundamental research within
established business domains to pinpointing emerging market prospects and technological
gaps that can be swiftly transformed into viable commercial ventures within a practical
timeframe. At the EBI, industrial sponsors benefit from preferential IP and tech transfer
support to facilitate a fast path to commercialization.
With this framework, EBI collaborative partnerships are designed to advance scalable
scientific innovation and cross-disciplinary engagement while maintaining equilibrium
between economic growth, environmental protection, and societal impact. An overarching
theme of the EBI research approach is to perform LCA and TEA (Lifecycle Analysis and
Techno-Economic Assessment) to assess the environmental impacts and economic viability
associated with any emerging technologies.
Governance
Reinstated in 2019, the EBI Executive Committee provides operational and strategic
planning, and is mostly composed of field leaders pooled from our partner network. The
composition certifies that different areas of interest and expertise are well-represented. A
new Advisory Board will be formalized in 2024, comprised of experts from both industry and
academia.
