WASHINGTON, (WOWO) — Indiana Senator Todd Young testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday about the growing competition between the U.S. and China in biotechnology. He explained how advances in this field will impact defense, healthcare, agriculture, and more.

“Biotech isn’t just about medicine anymore,” Young told Fox News. “It isn’t the kind of Jurassic Park-type breakthroughs most Americans might think of. But it’s also critical to fighting—and hopefully avoiding—wars.”

Young pointed out that biotechnology could help the U.S. maintain military strength, improve farming with fewer resources, and even cure diseases. He also mentioned that DNA could be used to store massive amounts of data, giving the U.S. an edge in tech development.

But Young warned that if countries like China control biotechnology, they could use it against the U.S. by attacking infrastructure or blocking access to medicines.

“They have a plan and they’re sticking to it,” he added. “They’ve been working on this for 20 years, throwing a lot of money and a lot of people at solving their problems.”

Young highlighted how China has invested heavily in biotechnology and is now making breakthroughs, including creating AI-generated prescription drugs.