U.S. Congressman Tom Latham is sponsoring a bill that would make more cutting-edge biotechnology research possible at Iowa State.

If the bill passes congressional approval, $3 million would go directly to the Ames Laboratory and $2 million would go to a 34-university consortium and some private industries for research, Latham told the Daily in a phone interview.

The research bill was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

Rep. Latham, R-Iowa, said he expects the bill to be considered by the House of Representatives within the next few weeks.

“This is one of 13 appropriation bills that has to pass Congress this year,” he said. “It’s noncontroversial and I think we’ll be supported.”

The $3 million given to the Ames Lab will help find new uses for corn and new fuel sources, Latham said.

“This is an effort to find ways of using biotechnology to enhance corn varieties and to make sure they’re safe as well as to get rid of any kind of toxins that might be in the corn varieties themselves,” he said.

Latham said the 34-University Consortium is a joint effort between mainly Midwestern universities.

“It’s about trying to understand biotechnology and get information out so people better understand that biotechnology is not bad,” he said. “[Biotechnology] dramatically reduces the amount of fertilizer and chemicals used in agriculture.”

Biotechnology can be used for vitamin and protein enrichment and can be good for the environment, Latham said.

Latham said Iowa State’s research deserves to be in the national spotlight. He was on campus on Aug. 28 with U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham to celebrate the new Midwest Forensics Resource Center at the Ames Lab.

“I went to Iowa State and what I want to see is the Ames Lab, ISU and the community of Ames be a research center which is recognized nationwide,” Latham said. “An offshoot of this would be scores of new types of business coming into the area in the year ahead. It all gets down to high-skill, high-paying job opportunities.”

Michael Dale, chairman of the ISU Republicans, said their group supports Latham “wholeheartedly.”

“I’ve gotten a chance to meet him and gone to some of his events. It’s good that he wants to help support the agriculture industry and make our corn one step better,” he said.