Biologic Institute Closes

The blogger known as the Sensuous Curmudgeon reported yesterday that the Biologic Institute, supposedly the research arm of the Discovery Institute, is closing:

Appears the Biologic Institute [An enterprise of the Discovery Institute] is history, green screen and all. On their 2019 990, Director Axe will no longer draw a salary, but will be a prof at Biola “Univ.” Office space is for rent. Location is listed as “permanently closed.” Their final 990 showed a loss of $133,000. [Emendation in original.]

I checked Guidestar for their latest IRS Form 990-EZ, which is dated 2019 and covers the fiscal year 2018 (Charity Navigator is a year behind). Sure enough, it contains the following statement on line 28:

DR. AXE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH BIOLA UNIVERSITY TO SERVE AS THE MAXWELL VISITING PROFESSOR OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY DURING THE 2018/2019 ACADEMIC YEAR, WITH REGULAR VISITS TO CAMPUS. IN AUGUST 2019, DR. AXE BECAME THE MAXWELL PROFESSOR OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AT BIOLA, WORKING FULL TIME ON TEACHING AND WORKING TO HELP BUILD A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT AT BIOLA THAT INCLUDES ADVANCED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. ALTHOUGH HE NO LONGER DRAWS A SALARY FROM BIOLOGIC INSTITUTE, DR. AXE CONTINUES TO SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR AND IS EXPLORING WAYS IN WHICH BIOLOGIC CAN PARTNER WITH BIOLA.

The “Dr. Axe” in question is Douglas Axe, the president of the Biologic Institute. His salary of $133,333 in 2018 was the bulk of the total expenses of $201,873. Revenue was $68,600, leaving a deficit almost exactly equal to Dr. Axe’s salary. Inasmuch as Dr. Axe “no longer draws a salary from Biologic Institute,” it seems safe to say that they are effectively out of business, even though he “is exploring ways in which Biologic can partner with Biola.”

I am not very familiar with Biologic Institute, and reading a 2019 Form 990-EZ seems almost like reading ancient history, or at least medieval history, so I took a look at their website. The home page displays an undated article that was reposted from a 2017 article, followed by another article dated 2018. Medieval history indeed! Undiscouraged, I checked a tab labeled Research. After a long discussion of motivation, “core ideas,” and research areas, they list their publications. I will let other people discuss the content of the publications and will note only that the most recent is from 2014. Thus, unless the web page has simply been ignored, there has been little or no activity at the Biologic Institute since 2013 or 2014 at the latest.

If the Biologic Institute is not dead, it has surely been moribund for the better part of the last decade. Where, I wonder, is their vaunted research program now?

ADDED 6:30 p.m., 05/23/2021:

A colleague sent me here, whence I scrolled down to “Charity … Search” and entered “Biologic Institute.” I quickly found the following, which suggests that they ceased operations on 09/30/2019 with a balance of $9285, which precisely matches the amount on the last Form 990_EZ that I could find.

According to “Business Search,” the corporation is “Active” through 10/31/2021, but with Dr. Axe gone, we may assume that they will be about as productive as in the past.