Science Policy

Bioeconomy

04.18.23 | 1 min read

The U.S. bioeconomy is growing rapidly, innovation is needed to sustain and maintain this growth. Shaping policy to consider workforce development, advanced agriculture, bioindustrial and biotech sectors will be imperative to keep the needle moving forward.

The bioeconomy – the part of the economy driven by the life sciences and biotech, and enabled by engineering, computing, and information science – has the potential to revolutionize human health, climate and energy, food security and sustainability, and supply chain stability, as well as support economic growth and well-paying jobs across the entire country. But to realize its massive potential, the U.S. needs legislative and executive support to grow and innovate our bioindustrial and biotechnological sector. 

Webinars and panels
Shaping our Priorities for the Bioeconomy: How Definitions Matter in a Bio-based World
August 24, 2023

Moderator: Sarah Carter (FAS)
Panelists: Tina Highfill (BEA), Teal Brown Zimring (Lab2Land), and Hanny Rivera (Ginkgo Bioworks)

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publications
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
BioNETWORK: The Internet of Distributed Biomanufacturing

The future of industrial growth resides in the establishment of biotechnology as a new pillar of industrial domestic manufacturing. Here’s how BioNETWORK will advance domestic biomanufacturing.

10.10.23 | 10 min read
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Blog
Wins, Gaps, & Looking Forward in the U.S. Bioeconomy

September should be bioeconomy month. To celebrate, we took our experts to the Hill to share their research and recommendations with Congress.

10.04.23 | 4 min read
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Science Policy
Blog
“The US needs to lean into an old strength”: Maintaining Progress and Growing US Biomanufacturing

We sat down with MicroByre CEO Dr. Sarah Richardson to talk about biomanufacturing, corn sugar’s pitfalls, and more.

08.28.23 | 12 min read
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Blog
Governance of AI in Bio: Harnessing the Benefits While Reducing the Risks

To develop an overarching framework that includes addressing bio-related risks, Congress, federal agencies, and non-governmental AI stakeholders must work together.

08.08.23 | 4 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
Coordinating the U.S. Government Approach to the Bioeconomy

To achieve a durable and strategic interagency approach to the bioeconomy, OSTP should establish a Bioeconomy Initiative Coordination Office to coordinate strategic U.S. government investments in the bioeconomy.

07.24.23 | 9 min read
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Blog
What’s Next for the U.S. Bioeconomy? Defining It.

For the U.S. bioeconomy to prosper and boom, the U.S. needs to land on a single, working definition of the bioeconomy while considering the role of sustainability in order to be competitive at the global scale.

06.22.23 | 9 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
Strengthening the U.S. Biomanufacturing Sector Through Standardization

The U.S. is facing a shortage in both pilot-scale and manufacturing-scale biomanufacturing facilities that severely hinders product development and commercialization.

06.01.23 | 9 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
Accelerating Biomanufacturing and Producing Cost-Effective Amino Acids through a Grand Challenge

Amino acids are essential but costly inputs for large-scale bioproduction. Federal funding can incentivize scalable production, cutting these costs in half.

05.15.23 | 14 min read
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Blog
Three Insights From the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference

Here are industry leaders’ top three takeaways from this year’s Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference.

04.04.23 | 4 min read
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Blog
Gathering Industry Perspectives on how the U.S. Government can Support the Bioeconomy

The past year has been an exciting time for the bioeconomy as U.S. government agencies work to update their approaches and improve coordination to better support bio-based products and processes.

03.23.23 | 4 min read
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Blog
Growing the Bioeconomy Requires Innovative Solutions

To strengthen the U.S. lead in the bioeconomy, Congress recently passed the CHIPS & Science Act of 2022. While the main body of this bill is related to semiconductors, this bill also lays out a solid base for the bioeconomy. Shortly after the passing of the CHIPS & Science Act, the White House also published an Executive Order that […]

02.14.23 | 3 min read
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Blog
Laying the Groundwork for the Bioeconomy

Over the past year, there have been significant policy advances related to the US bioeconomy—the part of the economy driven by the life sciences and biotech, and enabled by engineering, computing, and information science.1 The bioeconomy includes a wide range of products and processes, from mRNA vaccines and drought-resistant crops to microbial fertilizers and bioindustrial fermentation. […]

02.03.23 | 4 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
Project BOoST: A Biomanufacturing Test Facility Network for Bioprocess Optimization, Scaling, and Training

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential importance of biomanufacturing capabilities—extending to the geopolitical level—as well as the fragility of many supply chains and processes.

01.23.23 | 10 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
Advancing the U.S. Bioindustrial Production Sector

The U.S. government should create a Bio for America Program Office (BAPO) at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to house a suite of initiatives that would lead to the creation of more well-paying U.S.-based biomanufacturing jobs and more.

01.20.23 | 13 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
Accelerating Bioindustry Through Research, Innovation, and Translation

Streamlined funding of open and cross-disciplinary research, prize and challenge mechanisms, and market shaping through innovative procurement have all proven highly effective in the face of market failures and applied technology gaps like those seen in our bioindustry.

01.20.23 | 12 min read
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Science Policy
Report
118th Congress: Bioeconomy & Health Security

For the United States, the economic, societal, and national security benefits of the life sciences are vast. The U.S. bioeconomy – the part of the economy driven by the life sciences and biotech, and enabled by engineering, computing, and information science – is valued at over $950 billion. Life sciences research leads to cleaner crops […]

01.12.23 | 9 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
Unlocking the U.S. Bioeconomy with the Plant Genome Project

Plants are key to enable a diversified and climate-resilient food system. Mary Fernandes proposes a Plant Genome Project (PGP), a robust Human Genome Project-style initiative to build a dataset of genetic information on plant species.

11.09.22 | 11 min read
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Science Policy
Blog
CHIPS and Science Highlights: Bioeconomy

Congress had a lot more on its agenda than semiconductors when compiling the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. The bill–law as of yesterday–puts forward an expansive framework to advance U.S. innovation broadly, including in areas that feed into a critical sector: the bioeconomy. 

08.10.22 | 6 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
Meeting Biology’s “Sputnik Moment”

Biology is becoming a defining technology of the modern era, and is expected to contribute nearly 1.1. million jobs to the US by 2030.

04.28.21 | 1 min read
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Science Policy
day one project
Policy Memo
A National Bioeconomy Manufacturing and Innovation Initiative

A National Bioeconomy Manufacturing and Innovation Initiative would combat COVID-19, foster economic recovery, and address climate change.

12.16.20 | 1 min read
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