Innovation Ecosystem Overview

The BNERC is strategically rooted in three key sectors identified by South Dakota's Science and Innovation Strategic Plan: Value-added Agriculture and Agribusiness, Energy and the Environment, and Information Technology and Cybersecurity. The project's success hinges on the combined, complementary expertise of its partners, which include four academic institutions and one industrial partner.

Core Partners and Their Innovation Ecosystems

• South Dakota State University (SDSU): SDSU brings significant expertise in the molecular genetics of aerobic N₂-fixation, genetic engineering, and various analytical techniques. The university is a key collaborator in several research thrusts. For instance, in Thrust Area 1 (TA-1), SDSU is involved in identifying N₂-fixing cyanobacteria from natural ecosystems and conducting genome sequencing. SDSU also plays a central role in Thrust Area 2 (TA-2), a comparative multi-omics study on light-dependent, oxic N₂-fixation. The university's Mass Spectroscopy Core Facility, funded by the E-RISE grant, will support metabolomics research and provide training and access to BNERC researchers.

• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SD Mines): SD Mines' strengths lie in extremophilic bioprocessing, molecular biology, and bioprocessing of agri-materials, as well as experience with start-up companies. SD Mines leads the bioprospecting of thermophilic N₂-fixing cyanobacteria and bacteria from extreme environments like Yellowstone National Park and the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This research aims to discover novel thermostable pathways and high-value metabolites. SD Mines also collaborates on Thrust Area 3 (TA-3), which focuses on BNF-driven biomanufacturing to produce products like bio-N fertilizer and nutritional proteins, and bio-hydrogen.

• University of South Dakota (USD): USD contributes its specialized knowledge in bioinformatics, proteomic analysis, computational biology, and machine learning (ML). USD leads the ML-driven comparative genomics to identify genes crucial for aerobic N₂-fixation in Thrust Area 1 (TA-1). In Thrust Area 2 (TA-2), USD's expertise will be used to analyze high-throughput transcript, protein, and metabolite data to understand the genetic mechanisms behind aerobic N₂-fixation. The project will use USD's ML capabilities to create a new "Biological Nitrogen Fixation Research" (BNFR) database.

• Oglala Lakota College (OLC): OLC provides critical expertise on indigenous plants, ecosystem health, and sustainable agriculture, along with extensive connections to tribal communities. This partnership is vital for ensuring the project benefits a diverse population, particularly Native Americans, in South Dakota's STEM enterprise. OLC will be a co-leader in Thrust Area 1 (TA-1) to identify N₂-fixers in indigenous plants like the prairie turnip and buffalo berry. The college will also expand its research capacity in microbiology and molecular biology, and a new graduate program in Environmental Science will be established to help train a diverse workforce.

• Houdek: As the industrial partner, Houdek contributes its expertise in the industrial production of plant-based proteins and its ability to transition basic research into commercialization. Houdek has a production capacity of 30,000 tons per year and provides links to domestic and international commerce and global market reach. Houdek is a key partner in Thrust Area 3 (TA-3) on BNF-driven biomanufacturing, particularly in the production of nutritional proteins for fish meal. The company's involvement helps create a "lab to industry innovation and development" pipeline to attract talent and promote entrepreneurial development.