The BioTechnology Institute (BTI) provides advanced research, training, and university-industry interaction in biological process technology, a major area of biotechnology research. The Institute is the central University of Minnesota vehicle for coordinated research in the biological, chemical, and engineering aspects of biotechnology.

BTI faculty perform basic research in biocatalysis, microbial physiology and the production of biofuels and other products made from renewable resources. Faculty educate graduate students and postdoctorals, and consult and collaborate with industrial scientists.

In addition to the faculty laboratories, the Institute has established the Biotechnology Resource Center (BRC), a process scale pilot plant unique in the state, which is accessible to industrial and academic scientists for collaborative and contract research. The BioTechnology Institute also coordinates an active industrial outreach program which sponsors short courses and mini-symposia.