Industry Members

The BioNitrogen Economy Research Center (BNERC) partners with several key industry members to ensure its research is commercially viable and has a direct impact on economic development. The project aims to transition from a petro-based "chemo-nitrogen" economy to a new, solar-powered "bionitrogen" economy by developing and commercializing new technologies.

• Houdek: This industrial partner is a senior scientist and co-PI on the project. Houdek specializes in the industrial production of plant-based proteins, with a capacity of 30,000 tons per year. The company provides critical expertise in bringing basic research to commercialization and offers links to domestic and international commerce, giving the project a global market reach.

• South Dakota Innovation Partners, LLC: The President and Chief Operating Officer, Mark Luecke, is a member of the BNERC's Advisory Board. This partnership helps provide the center with executive oversight and guidance on its long-term strategy and sustainability.

• JCVI Synthetic Genomics, Inc.: Craig Venter, the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of this company, is also a member of the BNERC's Advisory Board. His involvement provides expert guidance on the project's genomics and synthetic biology research.