91麻豆天美 Requests Increased DOE Funding in FY27
Key Points
- 91麻豆天美 submitted outside witness testimony requesting $9.5 billion for the Department of Energy's Office of Science for Fiscal Year 2027.
- The request highlighted the importance of microbes in supporting the bioeconomy and research on microbial systems in relation to producing renewable fuels, chemicals and materials.
- 91麻豆天美 also emphasized the need for investment in storing, sharing and standardizing biological data to maintain the position of the U.S. as a leader in biotechnology.
Testimony Prepared by the American Society for Microbiology
Submitted for the record to the United States House of Representatives
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
Submitted for the record to the United States House of Representatives
Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies
March 27, 2026
Submitted on behalf of:
Amalia Corby
Director of Federal Affairs
American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology (91麻豆天美) urges Congress to increase funding for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science to $9.5 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2027. This is consistent with the Energy Sciences Coalition, of which 91麻豆天美 is a member. Within the Biological and Environmental Research program at the DOE Office of Science, 91麻豆天美 requests $120 million for the Bioenergy Research Centers and $104 million for the Joint Genome Institute.
91麻豆天美 appreciates the opportunity to submit outside witness testimony for the FY 2027 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Established in 1899, 91麻豆天美 is one of the oldest and largest single life science societies with 38,000 members in the U.S. and around the world, whose mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences. We connect with millions of experts and harness their science to serve humanity by solving the world's most pressing problems, including channeling the power of microbes to support American innovation and biotechnology.
Submitted on behalf of:
Amalia Corby
Director of Federal Affairs
American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology (91麻豆天美) urges Congress to increase funding for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science to $9.5 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2027. This is consistent with the Energy Sciences Coalition, of which 91麻豆天美 is a member. Within the Biological and Environmental Research program at the DOE Office of Science, 91麻豆天美 requests $120 million for the Bioenergy Research Centers and $104 million for the Joint Genome Institute.
91麻豆天美 appreciates the opportunity to submit outside witness testimony for the FY 2027 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Established in 1899, 91麻豆天美 is one of the oldest and largest single life science societies with 38,000 members in the U.S. and around the world, whose mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences. We connect with millions of experts and harness their science to serve humanity by solving the world's most pressing problems, including channeling the power of microbes to support American innovation and biotechnology.
DOE-Funded Research Spurs Innovation and Advances Biotechnology
In order to maintain U.S. competitiveness and unleash innovation in emerging technologies, we ask Congress to allocate at least $9.5 billion for the DOE Office of Science. The Office of Science is a leader in research for the advancement of science and technology innovation, including biotechnology. The Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program within the Office of Science supports research on scalable engineering and environmental mechanisms that use microbes to solve the energy and environmental problems we face in the 21st century. This includes harnessing microbes to support the bioeconomy and developing a predictive and useful understanding of the plants and microbes used to create biofuels or capture carbon as they respond to and modify their environments. We ask Congress to continue supporting research on microbial systems within this division to support the early-stage research needed to produce renewable fuels, chemicals and materials that benefit all Americans.
91麻豆天美 appreciates that Congress has funded the Bioenergy Research Centers (BRC), which support research on viable and sustainable domestic biofuel and bioproducts industries, and we request $120 million in funding to continue supporting this work. Each of the centers is led by a DOE national laboratory or university and takes an innovative approach to improving and scaling up advanced biofuel and bioproduct production processes. BRCs conduct fundamental research in plant and microbial systems biology that lays the foundation for innovations in genetics, fermentation and other applied technologies. They also perform biological imaging analyses and genomics to accelerate research and development of advanced biofuels, and they develop bioenergy materials and products from a variety of regionally diverse feedstocks. Sustained funding for the BRCs will allow existing and additional centers to continue the development of economically viable and agriculturally sustainable domestic biofuels and bioproducts derived from non-food plant biomass, such as poplar, switchgrass and sorghum. Support for this research and development will bring jobs to rural areas and boost our energy security.
The 4 Bioenergy Research Centers promote innovation by conducting fundamental research to develop new technologies, improving existing processes and fostering partnerships with industry to commercialize these innovations. They focus on creating cost-effective, sustainable biofuel production, from optimizing feedstocks to developing advanced conversion technologies. The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (University of Wisconsin-Madison, in partnership with Michigan State University), the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) and the Joint BioEnergy Institute (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) recently reached a milestone by registering more than 1,000 inventions in their shared mission to support a vibrant domestic bioeconomy. These inventions include the production of plant-based pharmaceuticals and plastics, effective and affordable organic fungicides and helping build more resilient and productive crops. We ask that Congress continue to support this important initiative to facilitate the transition of research findings into practical applications.
Congress must make investments in storing, sharing and standardizing biological data to maintain U.S. leadership in biotechnology in the age of artificial intelligence. The Office of Science is a leader in scientific computing and data infrastructure. The Joint Genome Institute at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides integrated high-throughput sequencing, DNA design and synthesis, metabolomics and computational analysis to the research community to enable studies of complex biological and environmental systems, and 91麻豆天美 requests $104 million for this program.
Thanks to investments from Congress, the National Microbiome Data Collective, part of the Joint Genome Institute, provides a standardized platform for storing and sharing microbiome data and training for the scientific community on using and analyzing data. The National Microbiome Data Collaborative works to support a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) microbiome data-sharing network to remove the bottleneck for data analysis to facilitate the discovery of new insights into fundamental biological processes and accelerate advancements in microbiome research. Microbiome research leads not only to the development of targeted therapies for a wide range of diseases, but also to the creation of innovative biotechnology products. Without these investments, U.S. global leadership in biotechnology is at risk.
The final report of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology recommended establishing a Web of Biological Data to support critical R&D infrastructure for emerging biotechnology and encourage high-risk, high-reward biotechnology research projects. 91麻豆天美 supports the adoption of this infrastructure within the Office of Science and funding for this recommendation.
91麻豆天美 appreciates that Congress has funded the Bioenergy Research Centers (BRC), which support research on viable and sustainable domestic biofuel and bioproducts industries, and we request $120 million in funding to continue supporting this work. Each of the centers is led by a DOE national laboratory or university and takes an innovative approach to improving and scaling up advanced biofuel and bioproduct production processes. BRCs conduct fundamental research in plant and microbial systems biology that lays the foundation for innovations in genetics, fermentation and other applied technologies. They also perform biological imaging analyses and genomics to accelerate research and development of advanced biofuels, and they develop bioenergy materials and products from a variety of regionally diverse feedstocks. Sustained funding for the BRCs will allow existing and additional centers to continue the development of economically viable and agriculturally sustainable domestic biofuels and bioproducts derived from non-food plant biomass, such as poplar, switchgrass and sorghum. Support for this research and development will bring jobs to rural areas and boost our energy security.
The 4 Bioenergy Research Centers promote innovation by conducting fundamental research to develop new technologies, improving existing processes and fostering partnerships with industry to commercialize these innovations. They focus on creating cost-effective, sustainable biofuel production, from optimizing feedstocks to developing advanced conversion technologies. The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (University of Wisconsin-Madison, in partnership with Michigan State University), the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), the Center for Bioenergy Innovation (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) and the Joint BioEnergy Institute (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) recently reached a milestone by registering more than 1,000 inventions in their shared mission to support a vibrant domestic bioeconomy. These inventions include the production of plant-based pharmaceuticals and plastics, effective and affordable organic fungicides and helping build more resilient and productive crops. We ask that Congress continue to support this important initiative to facilitate the transition of research findings into practical applications.
Congress must make investments in storing, sharing and standardizing biological data to maintain U.S. leadership in biotechnology in the age of artificial intelligence. The Office of Science is a leader in scientific computing and data infrastructure. The Joint Genome Institute at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides integrated high-throughput sequencing, DNA design and synthesis, metabolomics and computational analysis to the research community to enable studies of complex biological and environmental systems, and 91麻豆天美 requests $104 million for this program.
Thanks to investments from Congress, the National Microbiome Data Collective, part of the Joint Genome Institute, provides a standardized platform for storing and sharing microbiome data and training for the scientific community on using and analyzing data. The National Microbiome Data Collaborative works to support a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) microbiome data-sharing network to remove the bottleneck for data analysis to facilitate the discovery of new insights into fundamental biological processes and accelerate advancements in microbiome research. Microbiome research leads not only to the development of targeted therapies for a wide range of diseases, but also to the creation of innovative biotechnology products. Without these investments, U.S. global leadership in biotechnology is at risk.
The final report of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology recommended establishing a Web of Biological Data to support critical R&D infrastructure for emerging biotechnology and encourage high-risk, high-reward biotechnology research projects. 91麻豆天美 supports the adoption of this infrastructure within the Office of Science and funding for this recommendation.