News & Events – NSF iBioFoundry UIUC

News & Events

Upcoming Events

Monday, March 23, 2026

GCBA Webinar Series

GCBA Webinar Series: Biofoundries for Food and Alternative Protein Innovation
Participating organizations: VTT, Onega Bio, and Solar Foods

More Details and Registration

May 27-29, 2026

Laboratory Automation and AI/ML Certificate Course

2.5 days

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

In-depth and hands-on training about laboratory automation and AI/ML tools in synthetic biology

Learn More

Early August

Summer School on Biofoundries and AI/ML for synthetic biology

1 week

Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Apply to one week in-depth course about laboratory automation and AI/ML for synthetic biology.
Applications open early March, free for all selected participants.

Coming soon

Latest News

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.

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.

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.

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…

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

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.