Issue Papers
Issue papers
Biotechnology to Secure America’s Biofertilizer Supply
American farmers and growers rely on a secure, affordable supply of chemical fertilizer for their farms. As prices rise and availability shrinks, chemical fertilizer is also fast becoming a strategic vulnerability. New biotechnologies provide a solution.
Biotechnology to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains: A Case Study on Copper
The United States depends on China for the majority of its supply of dozens of critical minerals including copper. Without a reliable supply of these minerals, the United States risks ceding leadership in industries that will define its economic and strategic future. One promising avenue to address this gap is biomining. In January 2026, the NSCEB convened leading experts across industry, academia, and government to identify key obstacles to using biotechnology to extract and process critical minerals—including copper—and to evaluate solutions to those challenges.
Bringing Rare Disease Treatments to Patients
The U.S. biotechnology ecosystem could lead the world in developing cures for rare disease, but without a unified national strategy to fund, develop, and regulate new therapies, that lead is eroding. Retaining America’s edge in rare disease therapeutics is a national security and health security imperative.
Securing U.S. Leadership in Brain-Computer Interfaces
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) will have the enormous potential to advance healthcare for neurological diseases, defense capabilities, and next-generation AI models trained on brain data. Despite historical U.S. leadership in research and development of BCI technologies, China’s emerging global leadership is a strategic risk for U.S. national security.
Contact us
Please fill out the contact form or email us directly at ideas@biotech.senate.gov
For press inquiries please email us at press@biotech.senate.gov
