Pres. Biden Pushes for the Power of Biology for a Better Bioeconomy

U.S. President Joe Biden calls on Federal departments and agencies to harness biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovation through a National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative of the Executive Order 14081. The initiative has five bold goals for the US bioeconomy, which includes the following sections and examples stated in the report of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy:

• Climate: In 20 years, demonstrate and deploy cost-effective and sustainable routes to convert bio-based feedstocks into recyclable-by-design polymers which can replace over 90% of today's plastics and other commercial polymers at scale.
• Food and Agriculture: By 2030, reduce methane emissions from agriculture, by increasing biogas capture and utilization from manure management systems, reducing methane from ruminant livestock, and reducing methane emissions from food waste in landfills, to support the U.S. goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and the global goal of reducing methane emissions by 30%.
• Supply Chain: In 20 years, produce at least 30% of the U.S. chemical demand via sustainable and cost-effective biomanufacturing pathways. 
• Health: In 20 years, increase the manufacturing scale of cell-based therapies to expand access, decrease health inequities, and decrease the manufacturing cost of cell-based therapies 10-fold. 
• Cross-Cutting Advances: In 5 years, sequence the genomes of one million microbial species and understand the function of at least 80% of the newly discovered genes.

According to the report, the goals will only be achieved when there are developments in other sectors beyond research and development and will ensure that innovation can contribute towards safe, effective, and equitable resources for the American bioeconomy and partners worldwide.

Read the report from The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.