Board on Life Sciences
TBD
In progress
News and Updates
New Report: Strategic Report on Research and Development in Biotechnology for Defense Innovation
Update
This report offers a strategic vision for connecting scientists and technologists to build on, leverage, and tailor advances at the intersection of AI/ML, automated experimentation, and biotechnology to drive innovation in defense-related biotechnologies.
Description
The Board on Life Sciences (BLS) was established in 1984 to serve as the focal point for addressing critical, emerging policy and technical issues associated with the life sciences and biotechnology research and their applications. We engage experts representing various scientific and technological disciplines and working in a diversity of life science and biotechnology-related fields. We also work with experts from government, academia, industry, and other non-governmental organizations in the United States and internationally to ensure that our activities include a diversity of perspectives, are scientifically robust, and address timely and critical issues.
Our work includes fundamental, emerging, and applied life science and biotechnology research that are critical to the bioeconomy, science, health, agriculture, energy, the environment, and national security and defense. We work across the National Academies to leverage the best and brightest minds in tackling challenging and timely problems.
Focus Areas
BLS’s work encompasses a variety of life science areas, including basic, applied, and emerging life sciences research; biotechnology research and convergence; bioeconomy-related research and development; biosecurity and biodefense; ecology and biodiversity; and integrated human, animal, and plant health.
In all our work, we incorporate:
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion within the life science research enterprise;
• Communication and public engagement about life science research;
• Multidisciplinary and multisectoral approaches in life science research;
• Access, sharing, and use of digital biological data; and
• Ethics, policy and governance, diplomacy, safety, and security of life science activities.
Standing Committees
BLS supports two standing committees, one in collaboration with the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology which is focused on environmental health and a second focused on early-stage and advanced biotechnology capabilities.
• Emerging Science for Environmental Health Decisions.
• Biotechnology Capabilities and National Security Needs
Strategic Areas
Looking forward, we have prioritized five critical and emerging strategic areas for the board:
Contributors
Committee
Chair
Member
Member
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Member
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Member
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Member
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Member
Kavita M. Berger
Director
Staff
Kavita Berger
Lead
Sarah Juckett
Nia D. Johnson
Jessica De Mouy
Sabina Vadnais
Trisha Tucholski
Lyly Luhachack
Anthony Mann
Major units and sub-units
Center for Health, People, and Places
Lead
Life Sciences and Biotechnology Program Area
Lead