The White House announced more than $2 billion in new funding on Wednesday, following President Joe Biden’s newly signed executive order on biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovation, according to a release
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – 14th September, 2022) The White House announced more than $2 billion in new funding on Wednesday, following President Joe Biden’s newly signed executive order on biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovation, according to a release.
Multiple agencies will use the funding to “advance President Biden’s executive order to launch a National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative to lower prices, create good jobs, strengthen supply chains, improve health outcomes, and reduce carbon emissions,” the release said.
The Department of Health and Human Services will invest $40 million to expand the role of biomanufacturing for active pharmaceutical ingredients, antibiotics, and the key starting materials needed to produce essential medications and respond to pandemics.
The Department of Defense plans to invest $1 billion in bioindustrial domestic manufacturing infrastructure over the next five years to help establish a domestic bioindustrial manufacturing base. This aims to incentivize private and public sector partners to expand manufacturing capacity for products important to both commercial and defense supply chains, such as critical chemicals. An additional $200 million will support enhancements to biosecurity and cybersecurity postures at these facilities.
The Department of Defense will also invest more than $270 million over five years to turn research into products more quickly and to support the advanced development of bio-based materials for defense supply chains, such as fuels, fire-resistant composites, polymers and resins, and protective materials.
The Department of Energy plans to launch a new $20 million bioassurance program that will advance US capabilities to anticipate, assess, detect, and mitigate biotechnology and biomanufacturing risks, and will integrate biosecurity into biotechnology development. It will award approximately $178 million to advance innovative research in biotechnology, bioproducts, and biomaterials. It will also provide up to $100 million for research and development for conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals, including for improved production and recycling of biobased plastics. An additional $60 million will go to eliminating risks from the scaling up of biotechnology and biomanufacturing for the commercialization of biorefineries that produce renewable chemicals and fuels.
The Department of Energy will also work with the Department of Transportation and Department of Agriculture to leverage the estimated 1 billion tons of sustainable biomass and waste resources in the US to provide domestic supply chains for fuels, chemicals, and materials. The Department of Agriculture will also make $250 million available through a new grant program to support domestic fertilizer production to supply.
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