Abstract
In the span of just a few decades, the advent of recombinant DNA technology as well as other tools of biotechnology have revolutionized the health sciences - dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy. The original federal investment in basic science research, primarily through the creation of the National Institutes of Health and several other federal agencies, has delivered truly incredible dividends. Currently, this nation has 1,200 biotechnology companies which contribute over $11 billion a year to the nation’s economy. These sales are expected to reach approximately $50 billion in the next decade. In addition to the creation of nearly 100,000 highly skilled jobs and contribution to the nation’s economy, biotechnology provides the promise and some uncertainty to vastly improve the quality of life throughout the world. Yet do we have a strategy which encompasses federal, state and private sector policies and an infrastructure sufficient to sustain a substantial basic science investment to fuel the engine of technology and a process that enhances the quality of life for all Americans?
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