We analyze trends to help government and society harness biotechnology’s potential to promote health and new industries, as well as understand the potential for its misuse. It includes examination of the biotechnology workforce, infrastructure and funding that supports biotechnology research. Research topics include biological safety infrastructure and regulations, global biosecurity policies, genome editing techniques and the use of AI in biological discovery.

Formal Response

RFI Response: Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise Request for Information

Steph Batalis, Jack Karsten, and Julie George

| December 19, 2025

CSET submitted the following response to the White House Office of Science and Technology in support of its "Accelerating the American Scientific Enterprise initiative.

Reports

Biotech Manufacturing Apprenticeships

Luke Koslosky, Steph Batalis, and Ronnie Kinoshita

| August 2025

This report examines lessons from the North Carolina Life Sciences Apprenticeship Consortium for pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing workforce development, and analyzes how apprenticeship programs help address workforce shortages in emerging tech fields. It offers a practical framework with important considerations for designing and launching programs, and serves as a resource for...

Data Snapshot

The NIH’s Impact on Research and Innovation

Katherine Quinn, Steph Batalis, and Rebecca Gelles

| August 7, 2025

Data Snapshots are informative descriptions and quick analyses that dig into CSET’s unique data resources. This three-part series introduces CSET’s patent clusters, which connect related patents through citations and text similarity.

Blog

Prize Competitions and the Genesis Mission

Steph Batalis and Ali Crawford

| February 18, 2026

Ambitious projects to accelerate AI-driven scientific discovery such as the Genesis Mission aim to unlock large federal datasets and incentivize private-sector participation. This blog examines how federal prize competitions—recognized in the Genesis Mission, the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and recommendations from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology—can...

Blog

Exploring AI Methods in Biology Research

Steph Batalis, Catherine Aiken, and James Dunham

| April 21, 2025

Opposing narratives around AI for biotechnology raise the question: how are biotech researchers actually using AI in published research? CSET’s Steph Batalis, Catherine Aiken, and James Dunham explored this question by leveraging CSET’s merged academic corpus, enriched publication metadata, and research clusters.

Blog

Assessing the Next Frontier in Medical Research: Artificial Intelligence and Computational Biology

Charliste Hampton

| September 12, 2024

Artificial intelligence is becoming more integrated into the sciences. One of the scientific fields experiencing this is computational biology, which uses computer modeling to understand biological mechanisms and systems. This blog post provides an understanding of important research trends in these subject areas, and how advancements in AI can improve...

Katherine Quinn

Data Scientist

Steph Batalis

Research Fellow

Vikram Venkatram

Research Analyst

CSET’s Steph Batalis, Katherine Quinn, and Rebecca Gelles shared their expert analysis in an op-ed published by Barron's. Their piece examines the economic and scientific impact of proposed funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), arguing that NIH-backed research plays a foundational role in driving medical innovation, biotechnology growth, and U.S. competitiveness.

CSET’s Vikram Venkatram shared his expert insight in an article published by Bloomberg News. The article examines China’s efforts to build massive domestic biobanks as access to Western biomedical databases becomes increasingly restricted amid growing geopolitical tensions.

CSET’s Steph Batalis shared her expert insight in an article published by TIME. The article examines how leading AI companies are increasingly restricting access to their most capable models, such as GPT-Rosalind and Claude Mythos, due to growing concerns around dual-use risks in areas like cybersecurity and biological research, and the broader question of who should govern access to these systems.

CSET’s Steph Batalis and Vikram Venkatram shared their expert analysis in an op-ed published by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The article discusses how rapidly advancing biotechnology and AI are reshaping biosecurity, highlighting both the promise of new scientific tools and the need for stronger, adaptive safeguards.

CSET's Steph Batalis shared her expert analysis in an op-ed published by DefenseOne. In her piece, she highlights how the United States’ faltering response to the ongoing measles outbreak reveals serious vulnerabilities in the nation’s public health and biodefense infrastructure.

CSET's Steph Batalis and Vikram Venkatram shared their expert analysis in an op-ed published by The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The article explores discusses the complexities and challenges of screening DNA synthesis orders to prevent misuse of potentially dangerous genetic sequences.