Opinion: For national security, the U.S. must maintain its biotech dominance
For more than a century, the United States has been the undisputed leader in medical and biotechnology innovation. It saved millions of lives by mass-producing the first polio vaccines. U.S. researchers discovered new antibiotics that turned once-fatal infections into minor ailments, and developed antiretroviral cocktails that transformed HIV from a death sentence into a manageable, chronic disease.
Today, the U.S. is on the cusp of a golden age of biotechnology. Genome editing could soon eradicate disease traits passed from parent to child, and gene therapies could eliminate sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and certain cancers. The development of new biofuels could transform global politics as countries grow less reliant on oil-rich nations. And in agriculture, American biotech innovations are boosting food and crop production across the world, reducing the stresses brought by famine and food insecurity.
