The life sciences are highly distributed, multi-disciplinary, and international, limiting the identification, adoption, and influence of national security-relevant biotechnologies. These limitations can be overcome through active engagement with industry, academia, other research institutions, and funders of biotechnology. This standing committee will facilitate active engagement between the national security community and a diverse group of biotechnology stakeholders from various sectors. The standing committee will work to identify advanced biotechnologies that have promising capabilities to meet national security needs, and to identify early-stage research that may lead to new or enhanced biotechnologies.