This $747,446 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Integrative Activities (CFDA 47.083) program will establish the Bionitrogen Economy Research Center (BNERC) at Oglala Lakota College. The BNERC will build statewide research capacity in South Dakota focused on biological nitrogen fixation and its practical applications. The center will employ a four-pronged research strategy to: 1) study nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in natural ecosystems; 2) explore solar-powered, oxic nitrogen-fixation mechanisms using machine learning; 3) bio-manufacture fuels and value-added products using nitrogen; and 4) engineer nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria for developing nitrogen-fixing crops. This project aims to transition from a fossil fuel-based "chemo-nitrogen" economy to a sustainable "bio-nitrogen" economy by leveraging cyanobacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms. It will also train a diverse STEM workforce and boost K-12 student interest in nitrogen fixation, with potential to enrich the education of student participants through exchange visits and industry engagement.
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