ISB was co-founded in 2000 in Seattle, Washington by Dr. Leroy Hood, an immunologist and technologist; Dr. Alan Aderem, an immunologist and Dr. Ruedi Aebersold, a protein chemist. It has since grown to more than 170 staff members, including eleven faculty members and laboratory groups. It has established facilities for DNA sequencing, genotyping, DNA arrays and cell separations.

The Institute emerged as a result of the new research model called systems biology a revolutionary approach to analyzing biological complexity and understanding how biological systems function. The Institute has brought together a multidisciplinary group of scholars and scientists, from biologists, mathematicians and engineers, to computer scientists and physicists, in an interactive and collaborative environment. There are very few places with such a diverse representation of backgrounds and experience under one roof. ISB has already published pioneering papers in genomics, proteomics, systems biology and its applications.

The Institute’s 65,000 square foot facility is located in close proximity to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington. With tremendous opportunities for expanding the Institute’s strong partnerships with these leading-edge institutions, the stage is set for the Puget Sound region to generate the next generation of breakthroughs in science and medicine.