RII Track-1: Building on The 2020 Vision: Expanding Research, Education and Innovation in South Dakota

细菌生物膜（附着在表面的细菌层）因其赋予粘附表面有利特性的潜在能力而越来越受到重视。为了利用这一点，南达科他州EPSCoR提议将来自南达科他州11所机构的教职员工和学生聚集在一起，成立一个名为南达科他州生物膜科学与工程中心（SDBSEC）的新研究中心，其共同目标是成为全国公认的开发下一代生物膜技术的研究中心。这些技术将集中于了解生物膜和基质（金属或植物）之间的相互作用。该研究最终将开发出可用于石油和天然气工业的优质耐腐蚀金属，并通过利用固氮细菌向作物补充氮，使农作物在较少的肥料下茁壮成长。该项目将汇集来自许多不同科学领域的不同团队进行研究，并将创建SDBSEC期货，这是一个专注于大学教育管道的发展和参与的项目，从K-12教师到本科生再到该项目的教师。SDBSEC期货将专注于来自农村和美洲原住民社区的研究人员和学生，并将在SDBSEC实验室提供独特的研究经验，帮助他们在STEM领域取得进步。南达科他州EPSCoR的研究基础设施改善项目将创建南达科他州生物膜科学与工程中心（SDBSEC），该中心旨在开发下一代纳米级二维构象涂层，以控制农业、工业和商业技术相关材料的生物膜形成，从而获得全国认可。SDBSEC计划通过解决以下问题来发展生物膜表型的基础知识：1)金属表面的腐蚀，重点关注硫酸盐还原细菌，这对能源行业有直接影响，在能源行业中，细菌对石油管道的腐蚀可以帮助防止石油泄漏到环境中，从而防止经济和环境灾难；2)生物膜对农业相关作物根系定植的影响，重点研究固氮细菌重氮效率慢根瘤菌。这项研究将集中在大豆植物的根部，以了解生物膜如何通过减少其他土壤微生物的竞争来潜在地增强植物和细菌之间的有利共生关系。当固氮共生关系最大化时，将实现有效的固氮，从而减少额外施肥的需要。此外，该项目还将通过一个名为SDBSEC期货的项目，制定一项全面的教育和推广计划。SDBSEC期货将专注于从K-12到教师的多个教育水平，并涉及高等教育机构，K-12学校，行业和部落学院，以在南达科他州的竞争性劳动力的发展中产生重大的，持久的影响。SDBSEC期货公司选择特别关注为美国原住民和农村人口提供STEM机会，以便在该奖项的持续时间之外对南达科他州产生深远而持久的影响。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Bacterial biofilms (layers of bacteria that adhere to surfaces) are becoming increasingly valued for their potential ability to give advantageous properties to the surfaces they adhere to. To leverage this, South Dakota EPSCoR proposes to bring together faculty, staff, and students from eleven South Dakota institutions to form a new research center called the South Dakota Biofilm Science and Engineering Center (SDBSEC) under the common goal of becoming nationally recognized for developing next-generation biofilm technologies. These technologies will be focused on understanding the interactions between biofilms and a substrate (metal or plant). The research will eventually develop both superior corrosion-resistant metals that can be used in the oil and gas industry and will allow agricultural crops to thrive on less fertilizer by leveraging nitrogen-fixing bacteria that can supplement nitrogen to crops. The project will bring together a diverse team of individuals from many different scientific fields to conduct the research and will create SDBSEC Futures, a program to focus on the development and engagement of the university educational pipeline, from K-12 teachers to undergraduate students to faculty in this project. SDBSEC Futures will focus on researchers and students originating from rural and Native American communities and will provide unique research experiences in SDBSEC laboratories to help them advance in STEM fields. South Dakota EPSCoR's Research Infrastructure Improvement project will create the South Dakota Biofilm Science and Engineering Center (SDBSEC) that aims to become nationally recognized for developing next generation, nanoscale, conformational two-dimensional coatings to control biofilm formation on technologically relevant materials with agricultural, industrial, and commercial applications. The SDBSEC intends to develop fundamental knowledge of biofilm phenotypes by addressing: 1) Corrosion on metal surfaces with a focus on sulfate reducing bacteria that have direct implications for the energy industry where the prevention of corrosion of oil pipelines by bacteria could help prevent oil leaks into the environment and therefore prevent economic and environmental catastrophes; 2) Biofilm influence on root colonization in agriculturally relevant crops, focusing on the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Bradyrhizobium diazoeffeiciens. This research will focus on soybean plant roots to understand how biofilms could potentially enhance favorable symbiosis between the plant and the bacteria by reducing the competition of other soil microbes. When the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic relationship is maximized, efficient nitrogen fixation will be enabled, thus reducing the need for additional fertilizer application. Additionally, the project will assemble a comprehensive education and outreach plan through a program called SDBSEC Futures. SDBSEC Futures will focus on multiple educational levels from K-12 to faculty, and involve higher educational institutions, K-12 schools, industry, and tribal colleges to generate significant, long lasting impacts in the development of a competitive workforce in the state of South Dakota. SDBSEC Futures has elected to pay particular attention to providing STEM opportunities to Native American and rural populations to have a deep and long-lasting impact in South Dakota well beyond the duration of this award. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.