Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory was established in 1890 as a private 501(c)(3) non-profit. It conducts research in cancer, neuroscience, plant biology, genomics and quantitative biology. Eight Nobel laureates have worked at the institution. The laboratory allocates 1.57 percent of assets to private equity. It has founded or co-founded biotechnology companies including Envisagenics, DepYmed, Certerra, Clarapath and MapNeuro. It also holds a joint venture stake in Harbor Discoveries through a collaboration with Deerfield Management. Geographic exposure centers on the United States with additional activity through its publishing arm and international scientific meetings. The endowment stands at $766 million. The laboratory employs 1,000 people and maintains a supporting organization, the Robertson Research Fund, established in 1972. In 2024 it acquired the Wrexleigh Estate to expand postdoctoral housing. It retains service providers including Grant Thornton as auditor and Goldman Sachs as investment advisor. The laboratory combines direct research operations with an investment program that includes both public mutual fund holdings and early-stage biotechnology spin-offs. Governance rests with a board chaired by Marilyn H. Simons, whose Simons Foundation background informs the institution's science philanthropy ties.