Biotechnology and the Bioeconomy
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With challenging issues that range from the privacy of genetic data to the morality of synthetic biology, and solutions that range from safer and healthier foods to cleaner manufacturing, the field of biotechnology is accelerating with considerable far-reaching implications.
A wide range of topics fall under the biotechnology umbrella, including combatting disease, cleaning up environmental pollutants, harnessing scarce natural resources, assessing warfighter readiness, and developing offensive and defensive military capabilities.
The broader bioeconomy, which is based on products, services, and processes derived from biological resources, covers multiple commercial sectors including pharmaceuticals, crop production, plastics and rubbers, manufacturing, and more.
The U.S. needs to consider different types of governance efforts to enhance innovation and grow the bioeconomy:
- Investment in development and testing of foundational technology and modernization of regulatory evaluation that ensures safety without burdening industry.
- Guidance or regulations that standardize practices around biological data storage and exchange related to medical testing, oligo and DNA synthesis, and functional genomics.
- A method to address risks to national and personal security and to ecosystem functions and services; and support for public understanding of risks so that novel biological products and tools do not carry unwarranted stigma or pushback.
We are at a critical time in the biotechnology age when these standards, technological infrastructure, and policies need to be considered and effective action taken.
Critical Challenges
Biotechnology and the bioeconomy bring with them a variety of challenges that RAND can help address.
- Leveraging advances in biotechnology for agriculture
- Implementing and studying the implications of new forms of bio-energy
- Considering ethics, public perception, and dual-use concerns
- Developing and implementing standards of practice to increase economic value and operational effectiveness
- Policies and approaches for responding to potential pandemics
- Approaches and methods for raising/broadening public and institutional awareness and education regarding the risks of unmitigated distribution of bio-data
- Study workforce development in the field of biotechnology
- Coordinating disparate offices and organizations
- Enhancing technology deployment and technology transfer in the face of few industrial partners
- Developing a national plan/roadmap for precision medicine and data analysis, including a re-assessment of vulnerabilities
- Methods, tools, and approaches for aggregating National genetic data
- Aspects and implications of managing biotechnology internationally.
Why RAND?
RAND's research and analysis span a broad range of policy issues informed by diverse research methods and tailored to meet specific needs. Three attributes collectively distinguish RAND's value to its clients, grantors, donors, and employees, along with policymakers and the general public:
- Trusted source of expertise, analysis, and ideas
- World-class talent matched to specific problems or needs
- Commitment to advancing the public good
RAND Solves Critical Problems in Biotechnology
RAND is actively engaged in this emerging field to create proactive policy solutions to these emerging challenges to help consumers, institutions, agencies, and industry navigate biotechnology and the bioeconomy safely and efficiently.
In addition to ongoing work around data regulation, value, and processes related to security, RAND has a large body of work on the efficacy of technology advancement programs and a history of innovative health care policy and analysis work.
Our work is specifically focused on
Risk management
Data security and preventing data leaks are critical for advancement, support of commerce, and U.S. competitiveness. RAND has completed studies on big data, data and cybersecurity, and dark data.
- Security
- System analysis
- Forecasting
Regulation and simulation
Data regulation, value, and processes related to security are topics of current RAND work within the fields of biotechnology regulation and stimulation.
- Agility
- Competitiveness
- Asymmetry
Biological data
We consider the roles and risks of the Internet of Bodies and its implication for brain-computer interfaces.
- Privacy
- IP
- Disinformation
Featured Project
Researchers
- Suzanne Genc
- Timothy Marler
- Christy Foran
