As a National User Facility, the JGI serves more than 2,500 users that predominately come from the public sector: academic and government institutions — with capabilities that had remained largely unknown and underutilized by industry. When Director Nigel Mouncey joined the JGI in 2017, he brought with him 20 years of industry experience — and an opportunity to expand the JGI’s portfolio of user companies.
Now the Department of Energy is uniting National Labs and industry, including User Facilities like the JGI, through its Genesis Mission. Launched in 2025, the initiative aims to accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen national security and ensure U.S. energy dominance by integrating supercomputers, datasets and AI agents to solve key national challenges. The Genesis Mission consortium will connect leading industry and academic organizations with the DOE, National Laboratories, and User Facilities — as well as their resources. It will identify high-value partnerships among members that catalyze data flows and promote novel data applications. As a large-scale data generator, the JGI has a key role to play in providing high-quality, structured and curated data to support AI applications.
In an effort to lead AI-driven genomic innovation to advance biotechnology, the JGI provides Industry Partners access to our vast set of resources:
- JGI sequencing technologies include scaling technologies and state-of-the-art sample processing.
- Our DNA synthesis platform enables users to test hypotheses via designed and assembled physical DNA constructs that can then be functionally characterized.
- Our metabolomics platform delivers rich metabolite profiles from diverse biological and environmental samples by using advanced computer analysis coupled with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.
- We offer accessible, AI-ready large-scale data repositories for genome information with analysis tools for mining and prediction
The JGI works in partnership with Berkeley Lab’s Strategic Partnerships Office and Intellectual Property Office to execute agreements. Learn more about partnering with the DOE's National Laboratories.
Find out more about key capabilities already leveraged by industry partners.
Our private sector partners benefit from JGI resources in the following ways:
- Access to expertise: JGI staff are true collaborators, working closely with user companies from project conception, sample processing and data analysis. Our staff is well-versed in generating and managing large data sets as well as data security. We consider our team to be our greatest asset. Learn more about our team.
- Capital efficiency: JGI users get access to cutting-edge capabilities including sequencing, synthesis and metabolomics. Many users rely on a multifaceted combination of omics capabilities. To meet these needs, the JGI deploys state-of-the-art sequencers and platforms dedicated to DNA synthesis, single-cell analyses and metabolomics. Learn more about the resources we offer.
- Technical de-risking: Innovation requires iterations, and iteration can be expensive. The JGI offers a variety of engagement options that balance cost with IP considerations — with program structures that include cost-sharing arrangements and fully subsidized access. Learn more about our User Programs.
Which route is best for your business?
Type | Cost Structure | Intellectual Property | Work Requirement | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
JGI resources are provided free of charge | All data generated becomes publicly available | The JGI performs work in partnership with user | Budget and scale are defined by the specific proposal call | |
Funded by industry partner | Partner may elect title to generated IP | All work performed by JGI/Berkeley Lab | Typically smaller budget projects; full cost recovery paid by partner; defined scope | |
Varies: Industry partner may provide some, all or no funds | Partners may elect title to their own inventions, and sponsor can negotiate a license to lab IP | Work performed by industry partner and the JGI/Berkeley Lab | Typically larger budget projects; lab and partner may share costs; in-kind required |
Learn more about our partnerships:
LanzaTech ($LNZA) is a public company that uses engineered microbes to ferment waste industrial gases into valuable products including fuels, chemicals and materials. It has partnered with the JGI through both our Community Science Program and through the 
NewLeaf Symbiotics, an agricultural biotech startup company, is partnering with the JGI and Berkeley Lab Biosciences Area on a Strategic Partnerships Project to study how methanotrophs — a class of microbes closely related to the company’s Pink Pigmented Facultative Methylotroph technology — interact with rice plants. Using the JGI’s fabricated ecosystem technology (
Through a Strategic Partnership Project, the JGI 
The JGI performed a secondary metabolite analysis on a subset of Brightseed’s plant compound library to enable the company to gauge detection capabilities and limitations, compound abundance, and to identify and annotate secondary metabolites.
Contact
To learn more about our partnership agreements or connect with members of our Partnerships Development Team, contact JGI Policy & Agreements Analyst Grace Sprehn.
Our User Executive Committee, which includes industrial users like LanzaTech’s Chief Innovation officer Dr. Michael Köpke, is also available for questions.
