A defunct research institute that unified Maryland's biotechnology research and education from 1985 to 2010.
The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute was created to provide unified focus for Maryland's biotechnology research and education. It served as a hub for intensive study in applied biotechnology with applications to human health, marine environment, agriculture, and protein engineering. The institute emphasized collaboration with industry, other research institutions, and federal laboratories, and sponsored training workshops, short courses, symposia, and seminars throughout the year.
UMBI comprised four specialized research centers: the Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology (CARB), Center for Biosystems Research (CBR), Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB), and Medical Biotechnology Center (MBC). The central administration was housed in the Columbus Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, which also briefly hosted a marine biotechnology museum from May through December 1997.
In 2009, the University of Maryland Board of Regents decided to close the institute and realign each center with other institutions within the university system. The restructuring was completed on July 1, 2010. The institute's work continues through its successor organization, the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET).