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

细菌生物膜（粘附在表面上的细菌层）因其为它们粘附的表面提供有利特性的潜在能力而变得越来越有价值。 为了利用这一点，南达科他州EPSCoR建议将来自11个南达科他州机构的教职员工和学生聚集在一起，成立一个新的研究中心，称为南达科他州生物膜科学与工程中心（SDBSEC），共同目标是成为国家认可的开发下一代生物膜技术。 这些技术将侧重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上级耐腐蚀金属，并通过利用固氮细菌为农作物补充氮，使农作物在更少的肥料中茁壮成长。 该项目将汇集来自许多不同科学领域的多元化团队进行研究，并将创建SDBSEC Futures，这是一个专注于大学教育管道的开发和参与的计划，从K-12教师到本科生再到该项目的教师。SDBSEC Futures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，以帮助他们在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），旨在成为国家认可的开发下一代，纳米级，构象二维涂层，以控制生物膜形成技术相关的材料与农业，工业和商业应用。 SDBSEC旨在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，重点是硫酸盐还原菌，这些细菌对能源行业有直接影响，其中防止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殖的影响，重点是固氮细菌重氮慢生根瘤菌（Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens）。这项研究将集中在大豆植物根部，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，将能够实现有效的固氮，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 Futures的方案，制定一个全面的教育和推广计划。 SDBSEC Futures将专注于从K-12到教师的多个教育级别，并涉及高等教育机构，K-12学校，行业和部落学院，以在南达科他州发展有竞争力的劳动力方面产生重大，长期的影响。 SDBSEC Futures已选择特别关注为美国原住民和农村人口提供STEM机会，以便在南达科他州产生深远而持久的影响，远远超出该奖项的期限。 该奖项反映了NSF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而被认为值得支持。该奖项反映了NSF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而被认为值得支持。

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.