B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on July 14, 2026, entitled Biotechnology: Applications, Challenges, and Policy Options for Engineered Microbes for Waste Cleanup that assesses current and emerging genetically engineered (GE) microbe technologies for waste cleanup. The report examines: the status, benefits, and risks of GE microbes for waste cleanup; the challenges of developing or using GE microbes for waste cleanup; and options policymakers could consider to...

On July 14, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO) announced its intent to fund the advancement of novel, high-impact chemical technologies. According to AFFO, the proposed funding opportunity, Accelerating Scale-up and Pre-piloting of Emerging Chemical Technologies (ASPECT), will advance technologies for producing chemicals from alternative and waste feedstocks. AFFO notes that more than 96 percent of manufactured goods rely on products from...

On August 4, 2026, the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care will hold a hearing on “Building a Resilient Health Care Future with Biotechnology.” The Subcommittee will hear from the following witnesses: Alan D. Palkowitz, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI); Michelle Rozo, Ph.D., Vice Chair, National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB); Vera P. Luther, M.D., MS, Section Chief of Infectious Disease and...

In July, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published the Trump Administration’s 2026 Unified Agenda. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Unified Agenda includes the following rulemakings regarding biobased products and biotechnology: Technical Guidelines for the Production of Regenerative Agricultural Biofuel Feedstocks: The Biden USDA issued an interim final rule (IFR) to establish new regulations that will set requirements for the quantification, reporting, and verification...

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) New Approach Methodology (NAM) Use for Regulatory Application (NURA) is partnering with Te Protejo for the next installment of NURA en Español. The August 6, 2026, Spanish-language webinar will feature researchers from two Chilean NAMs labs: the Valparaíso Scientific and Technological Center (CCTVal) and Luyef Biotechnologies. Attendees will hear about how both labs are reshaping the Chilean scientific landscape through their work with...

On July 16, 2026, Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA) introduced the Biotechnology Diplomacy Leadership Act (H.R. 9755). According to McCormick’s July 16, 2026, press release, the bill would “strengthen America’s global leadership in biotechnology by establishing a dedicated biotechnology lead” in the U.S. Department of State (State Department). The press release states that as biotechnology emerges as a “critical arena of global competition,” the United States faces pressure to...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service published a final rule on July 9, 2026, that incorporates revisions intended to clarify, improve, and enhance the delivery of the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Program’s loan guarantees. 91 Fed. Reg. 42335. The program provides loan guarantees up to $250 million to eligible applicants to develop advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and biobased-products manufacturing...

In May 2026, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a policy paper entitled Anticipatory Governance for Responsible Innovation in Synthetic Biology. The policy paper examines how OECD member countries are adapting governance frameworks to support responsible innovation in synthetic biology. Using the OECD Framework for Anticipatory Governance of Emerging Technologies as an analytical lens, it reviews national strategies, policy instruments, and governance...

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Alternative Fuels and Feedstocks Office (AFFO) will hold its 2027 Peer Review Meeting (PRM) during the week of April 19, 2027, in Arlington, Virginia. The PRM will include a “rigorous and systematic review” of active projects in AFFO’s research, development, and demonstration portfolio. According to AFFO, the reviews will be conducted by technical experts from industry, academia, the DOE National Laboratories, and other federal agencies. The PRM will...

On June 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule revising the technical guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the carbon intensity (CI) of agricultural commodity crops used in the production of biofuels relative to an estimated national average that were established by a Biden USDA January 2025 interim rule. 91 Fed. Reg. 39334. According to USDA, the January 2025 interim rule established guidelines for the implementation, reporting, verification,...