By Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma is a “blueprint” for Washington, D.C. of how to implement public-private partnerships in biotechnology, said a federal official who has been tasked with reviewing advancements in the industry.
Michelle Rozo, vice chair of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, said Oklahoma stands out from other states because of the collaboration between industries and the public-private partnerships in the state.
The Commission, which was established by Congress to advance the United States’ leadership in biotechnology, is traveling across the country to discuss how states are advancing biotechnology and understand how the group can best implement its recommendations.
The main recommendation, Rozo said, is to maintain public-private partnerships in the biotechnology industry.
“I like to say we’re beginning to be able to program biology like we program computers, but the outcomes are going to have much more of a wide- reaching effect,” Rozo said. “‘When you program computers, you just get ones and zeros out. When you program biology, you get medicines, you get food, you get materials, you get treatments. … The limits almost do not exist.”
Rozo was joined by a handful of other commissioners, including Republican U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice, during a stop in Oklahoma City on Tuesday as part of a nationwide roadshow to discuss how biotechnology advancements could shape national defense. The Commission provides recommendations about the intersection of national security and biotechnology, which uses biology or living organisms to develop new products and technologies or improve existing ones.
The commission in April offered Congress a series of recommendations.
Representatives from Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation spoke about the importance of higher education in pushing innovation in biotechnology forward. Research at these institutions ranges from food security and supply chain resiliency to developing medical treatments and devices.
The commission also heard from state leaders about strategies to create hands-on learning opportunities and address gaps in the workforce.
The greatest need is more talent and researchers in Oklahoma to push for innovation, but it can be difficult to draw them when most research dollars go to institutions on the East and West Coasts, officials said.
When asked about federal cuts to research grants and higher education, Bice said Congress “isn’t interested” in huge cuts to research.
“We recognize that research at large, whether it is through organizations like OMRF or organizations like OU and OSU that are doing really innovative things, is important,” Bice said. “And we’ll continue to invest in those things moving forward.”
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration has proposed cutting over $1 billion from the National Institutes of Health, which conducts and supports medical research. Some of the proposals have faced legal challenges.
Bice said the commission is on the road to highlight the importance of biotechnology and address the role Oklahoma can play in addressing challenges the U.S. faces in national security.
