The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, LTD. (NIBN), a unique research institute located within Ben-Gurion University (BGU), is the first self-organized, independent research entity established as a company under the auspices of a University in Israel.
The NIBN was established as a company in November 2009 through a tri-lateral agreement between the Israeli Government, Mr. Edgar D. de Picciotto and the Ben-Gurion University.
The mission of the NIBN is to conduct multi-disciplinary research guided by a clear biotechnology vision. The NIBN encourages and funds cutting-edge, innovative and creative research that generates ideas for new biotechnology applications emanating from interdisciplinary, discovery-driven research.
The NIBN's professional team follows and helps guide research from the idea stage through proof-of-concept and commercialization.
Research at the NIBN is focused on diverse areas: cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune and metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, human genetic disorders and Applied Biotechnology including AgBio. The decision to focus on these topics brings together existing strengths with resources unique to the NIBN and BGU.
The NIBN aims to encourage its members to cross the academic barriers that, by tradition, have isolated scientific disciplines and instead engage in creative and ground-breaking biotechnological research with a commercialization potential.
Hosted within Ben-Gurion University, the NIBN represents a framework that is distinct from existing academic models, yet incorporates the creative University setting and creates an environment conducive to pioneering ideas.
The NIBN strives to achieve its mission by providing NIBN researchers with state-of-the-art Laboratories, research grants, infrastructure supporting units, intellectual property and project management and business development leadership, all given by NIBN's professional management teams. In addition, external key opinion leaders provide NIBN researchers with constant scientific, industrial and regulatory guidance and support.
The NIBN is steered by a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) of independent, internationally renowned experts. The SAB is responsible for the definition of NIBN's goals, including the specialization of research fields, setting the academic and professional goals and standards of the NIBN and the evaluation of NIBN members.
The NIBN's vision is to bridge the gap between basic and applied innovative research aiming to facilitate the commercialization of novel ideas and technologies developed by NIBN researchers, ultimately leading to the establishment of successful biotechnology industrial hub in Israel, particularly in the Negev.
