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On September 9, 2026, Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, and Rich McCormick (R-GA), Chair of the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee, sent letters to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya, and National Science Foundation (NSF) Acting Director Brian Stone requesting information on how those agencies are “advancing U.S. leadership in biotechnology research while protecting against biosecurity and research security risks.” According to the Committee’s September 9, 2026, press release, in the letters, the Chairs highlight the growing importance of biotechnology to U.S. economic competitiveness, scientific leadership, national security, healthcare, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing. The Chairs also emphasize that rapid advances in biotechnology — including synthetic biology, gene editing, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis, automated laboratory technologies, and the convergence of biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) — present significant opportunities, as well as emerging security risks. The press release notes that the letters also highlight the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology’s (NSCEB) April 2025 report that identified biotechnology as critical to economic competitiveness, national defense, public health, agriculture, energy, and industrial production. The Chairs ask the agencies to identify any significant gaps, vulnerabilities, or emerging threats related to biotechnology; explain whether they have implemented NSCEB recommendations; and identify any additional authorities, resources, statutory changes, or policy tools needed to strengthen U.S. biotechnology leadership while protecting national security and biosecurity.
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