Subcommittee Weighs in on Engineering Biology
(Washington, DC) – The Subcommittee on Research and Technology held a hearing today to discuss engineering biology and its applications for the energy, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors. Engineering Biology is the emerging field of research at the intersection of biology, the physical sciences, engineering, and information technology.
The Subcommittee heard from a distinguished panel of witnesses including: Dr. Mary Maxon, Biosciences Principal Deputy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Dr. Steve Evans, Fellow, Advanced Technology Development, Dow AgroSciences; Dr. Reshma Shetty, Co-Founder, Ginkgo Bioworks; Dr. Martin Dickman, Distinguished Professor and Director, Institute for Plant Genomics and Biotechnology, Texas A&M University; and Dr. Zach Serber, Co-Founder and Vice President of Development, Zymergen.
Ranking Member Dan Lipinski (D-IL) said, “Due to the importance of this growing research field, the nation would benefit not just from increased investment at individual agencies, but also from coordination of federal efforts under some kind of national plan or strategy. Additionally, we should ensure that we are facilitating public-private partnerships. Given the potential commercial applications across nearly all sectors of our economy, there is a need to engage and encourage private sector collaboration at a pre-competitive level.”
The witnesses discussed the applications for engineering biology research, including new crops and feedstocks, synthetically made ingredients and materials, and an entirely new chemicals industry that is not dependent on petroleum. The witnesses stressed the need for federal investment in research and the importance of public-private partnerships for this kind of research.
Although not a legislative hearing, this morning’s discussion provided support for a coordinated federal research strategy for engineering biology research. In January, Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner’s (R-WI) introduced the bipartisan bill, H.R. 591, the Engineering Biology Research and Development Act of 2015, which would establish just such a coordinated strategy.
Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) emphasized in her statement for the record that H.R. 591 “would establish a framework for greater coordination of federal investments in engineering biology and lead to a national strategy for these investments.” She continued, “Right now, we are still a leader in engineering biology, but we must continue our work to ensure that we do not cede this leadership position. I am hopeful that we can work together across the aisle to ensure that the United States remains a leader in engineering biology.”
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