J. L. “Clem” Fortman is a synthetic biologist with a long-standing interest in biodefense. He is currently a technical analyst for synthetic biology with ANSER, providing support to the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense, where he previously served 2 years as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow. Dr. Fortman is a classically trained microbial physiologist with a PhD in microbiology from the University of Minnesota. He spent 6 years as a postdoc in the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) Department of Chemical Engineering, where he gained his expertise in synthetic biology. He is a founder of the introductory College-Level Experience in Microbiology (iCLEM) program at UCB, an educational outreach program for under-resourced high school students, as well as Lygos, a San Francisco Bay area synthetic biology company. His career in biodefense was stimulated by his time as an enlisted man in the US Army, where he served in a number of different roles including assistant Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Non-Commissioned Officer for the Headquarters and Service Battery of the 1st Battalion 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment.