RII Track-1: Building Capacity across Iowa to Meet Human Needs from Things that Grow

“在整个爱荷华州建设能力以满足人类对生物生长的需求”(“Chemurgy 2.0”)项目的愿景是，爱荷华州将通过适应和现代化“化学”的概念，成为先进的生物制造领先者。该项目将通过建立和整合生物科学和先进制造方面的研究能力来推进这一愿景，这两个领域被确定为爱荷华州的重要领域。Chemurgy 2.0将专注于蛋白质、疫苗和治疗药物的制造；生物化学品和生物纤维的制造；3D打印和利用生物化学品和生物纤维的复合材料制造工艺；以及数据科学和人工智能的应用。用于添加剂制造的塑料、用于柔性和刚性材料的纤维以及用于诊断和治疗的蛋白质的发展将通过为健康和消费应用提供生物基和可持续材料而造福社会。有了这个项目，不仅爱荷华州研究型大学的研究基础设施将得到改善，爱荷华州以本科生为主的机构也将得到改善。将为职前教师和来自传统上代表性不足的群体的本科生--包括第一代学生和农村学生--提供研究经验和教育机会。化学2.0将由爱荷华州立大学与爱荷华大学、北爱荷华大学、多德大学和爱荷华州中央学院合作管理。化学2.0研究计划将从三个主题领域建立满足人类需求的能力：(1)用于添加剂制造的塑料(PAM)，(2)用于柔性和刚性材料的纤维(FFR)，以及(3)用于诊断和治疗的蛋白质(PDT)。每个主题领域的结构都支持一个“发现”--“优化”--“扩大规模--制造”的流水线，该流水线形成了一个从发现生物灵感积木到制造应用的迭代和相互连接的循环。PAM将单体的生物制造与添加剂制造(AM)部门联系起来。FFR将生物纤维与AM、纺织品和医疗产品制造联系起来。PDT专注于更大的生物衍生分子，如蛋白质和细胞产品，并将它们与诊断和治疗生产联系起来。数据科学是贯穿所有重点领域的交叉主题。总体而言，Chemurgy 2.0解决了三个相互交错的问题：爱荷华州生物制造业相对于其他行业发展不足；目前缺乏生物制造业的关键物理和网络基础设施需求；以及该州劳动力能力严重受限。化学2.0预计将增加与生物制造和数字工业技术相关的基础和应用科学和工程领域的研究基础设施和劳动力。数据驱动的教育干预措施和在全州范围内实施的外联活动将增加爱荷华州的生物制造劳动力并使其多样化。与爱荷华州及其他地区居民的基于项目的交流将建立科学素养和对化学2.0在爱荷华州实现先进生物制造中的S作用的理解。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并已通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The vision of the "Building Capacity across Iowa to Meet Human Needs from Things that Grow" (“Chemurgy 2.0”) project is for Iowa to become an advanced biomanufacturing leader by adapting and modernizing the concept of “chemurgy” – i.e., applied chemistry with a focus on producing industrial products from agricultural material. The project will advance this vision by building and integrating research capacity in biosciences and advanced manufacturing, two key areas identified as important to the State of Iowa. Chemurgy 2.0 will focus on the manufacturing of proteins, vaccines and therapeutics; the manufacturing of biochemicals and biofibers; 3D-printing and composite fabrication processes that utilize biochemicals and biofibers; and applications of data science and artificial intelligence. The development of plastics for additive manufacturing, fibers for flexible and rigid materials, and proteins for diagnostics and therapeutics will benefit society by providing bio-based and sustainable materials for health and consumer applications. With this project, research infrastructure will be improved not only at Iowa research universities but also at predominantly undergraduate institutions in Iowa. Research experiences and educational opportunities will be provided for preservice teachers and for undergraduates from groups traditionally underrepresented – including first-generation and rural students. Chemurgy 2.0 will be administered by Iowa State University in collaboration with the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa, Dordt University, and Central College of Iowa.The Chemurgy 2.0 research program will build capacity in meeting human needs from things that grow in three thematic areas: (1) Plastics for Additive Manufacturing (PAM), (2) Fibers for Flexible and Rigid materials (FFR), and (3) Proteins for Diagnostics and Therapeutics (PDT). The structure of each thematic area supports a “discover” – “optimize” – “scale-up-to manufacture” pipeline that forms an iterative and interconnected loop spanning from the discovery of bio-inspired building blocks to manufacturing applications. PAM links the biomanufacturing of monomers to the Additive Manufacturing (AM) sector. FFR links biofibers to AM, textiles, and medical product manufacture. PDT focuses on larger bio-derived molecules, such as proteins and cell products, and connects them with diagnostics and therapeutics production. Data science is a cross-cutting theme throughout all focal areas. Overall, Chemurgy 2.0 addresses three intersecting problems: biomanufacturing, which is under-developed in Iowa relative to other sectors; the critical physical and cyberinfrastructure needs for biomanufacutring that are currently lacking; and workforce capacity, which is severely constrained in the state. Chemurgy 2.0 is expected to increase research infrastructure and workforce in the basic and applied science and engineering fields related to biomanufacturing and digital industrial technologies. Data-driven educational interventions and the implementation of outreach activities across the state will increase and diversify the Iowa biomanufacturing workforce. Project-based communications with Iowa residents and beyond will build scientific literacy and understanding of Chemurgy 2.0’s role in achieving advanced biomanufacturing in Iowa.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.