Oregon’s Foundational Biotech Landscape Leading Next Generation Innovation in the Pacific Northwest

Home to some of the country’s earliest biotech leaders, Oregon illustrates how a mature innovation ecosystem can help the United States lead in emerging biotechnology.

28, September 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Portland, Oregon – On Friday, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) visited Portland, Oregon on the latest stop on the Biotech Across America Roadshow. Commissioner Paul Arcangeli and U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06) joined local biotech industry leaders and members of the state’s research community to learn more about how the Beaver State is shaping the U.S. biotech industry and building its future workforce.

In its April 2025 report to Congress, the NSCEB found that commercialization of biotech products and the development of a sustained talent pipeline are among the challenges faced by the American biotech industry.

“The biotech industry in Portland is thriving thanks to the interconnectedness of its strong biotechnology ecosystem and excellent universities,” said NSCEB Commissioner Paul Arcangeli. “These combined assets are setting the state up for success by creating the sustained talent pipeline needed to harness the potential of biotechnology well into the future.”

“Oregon’s unique concentration of life sciences, semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, and advanced engineering positions our state to lead the nation in developing biotechnology solutions that strengthen our economy and national security,” said Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06). “We showed the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology what that looks like, from DNA manufacturing at Twist Bioscience in Wilsonville to the students in PCC’s bioscience lab. When we make these technologies at home, we create careers for Oregonians and make our country safer. I will keep working to bring federal investment to Oregon to support our workers and businesses.”

“Oregon is one of the few places where semiconductors, AI, engineering, and life sciences already share a corridor, and where the classroom and the factory floor talk to each other,” said Dr. Ndeye Makalou, Interim President and CEO, Oregon Life Sciences. “Companies tell our universities and community colleges what skills they need next, and those schools train the people who fill the jobs. The Commission saw that system at work. With sustained federal support for community college and apprenticeship pipelines, Oregon can help build more of America’s biotechnology capacity and security here at home.”

“Advances in biotechnology depend on the ability to build and test new ideas at scale,” said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. “At Twist, we provide solutions across the biological continuum – DNA, RNA and proteins – that enable researchers in industries such as therapeutics, diagnostics and academia to navigate complex challenges with precision, scale and speed. We’re proud to be a part of the growing bioeconomy in Oregon and to welcome the Commission to our Wilsonville site to show what can be made possible with advanced manufacturing and automation alongside a skilled local workforce.”

Event Details:

In the first session of the visit, Commissioner Arcangeli and Rep. Salinas headed to Twist Bioscience where they joined a roundtable discussion focused on how Oregon is leveraging its strengths in semiconductor manufacturing, AI, advanced engineering, and life sciences to accelerate biotechnology production and strengthen U.S. national security. They also discussed the statewide Life Sciences Competitiveness Taskforce. which is building partnerships among academia, government, and industry to enable the commercialization of biotechnology in Oregon. This session ended with a facility tour of Twist Bioscience.

After, Commissioner Arcangeli visited the Genentech Hillsboro Technical Operations center for a presentation on the company’s latest work and facility tour. Genentech recently announced a major expansion of the Hillsboro site that would expand end-to-end U.S. production capabilities and strengthen the resilience of the domestic medicine supply chain.

To end the visit, Commissioner Arcangeli and Rep. Salinas visited Portland Community College’s (PCC) Rock Creek Campus which is providing hands-on biotechnology education and workforce training designed to prepare students for careers in Oregon’s growing bioscience sector. The PCC academic programming gives students experience with laboratory techniques and skills relevant to research, biomanufacturing, and other life sciences paths, preparing them for careers across the biotechnology industry.

Participants included:

U.S. Representative Andrea Salinas
Aronora, Inc.
Business Oregon
Earle A. Chiles Research Institute
Genentech Inc.
Office of Governor Tina Kotek
Office of U.S. Representative Janelle Bynum
Office of U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici
Office of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
Oregon Bioscience Incubator
Oregon Business Council
Oregon Entrepreneurs Network
Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Life Sciences
Oregon State University
Penderia Technologies
Seran Biosciences
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Twist Bioscience
University of Oregon

Biotech Across America Roadshow: The Commission is hitting the road to highlight biotechnology across America, including the companies, academic institutions, workforce development programs, and policy initiatives that are driving the future for this rapidly growing industry. Commissioners will continue learning about the work being done across this vibrant ecosystem while engaging on the key findings and recommendations from the Commission’s recent report to Congress.

About NSCEB: The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology is a time-limited, high-impact legislative branch advisory entity whose purpose is to advance and secure biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and associated technologies for U.S. national security and to prepare the United States for the bioindustrial revolution. The Commission published a comprehensive report in April 2025, including recommendations for action by Congress and the federal government. The bipartisan Commission is composed of Congressionally-appointed Commissioners with members from both the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as experts from industry, academia, and government. For more information about the Commission and to view the report, visit: biotech.senate.gov.

Contacts:

NSCEB: press@biotech.senate.gov