In the past three years, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $32 million in funding for research led by faculty at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology that expands human understanding of the microbial
world. Much of the research focuses on the environment microbes occupy when they attach to surfaces and create what is commonly known as a biofilm.
The broad range of studies on microbes and biofilms, funded by these grants, has a wide potential for applications across many sectors of industry and society including energy generation, new medicines, wastewater purification, agriculture, corrosion
resistance, new materials and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The research effort of the newly announced $20
million NSF grant titled “Building
on the 2020 Vision: Expanding Research, Education and Innovation in South
Dakota”
will be led by researchers at SD Mines, SDSU and USD. The funding was awarded through the South Dakota Established Program
to Stimulate Competitive Research (SD EPSCoR) and the South Dakota Board of Regents. The state of South Dakota is providing $4 million in matching funds for the grant. The Governor’s office of Economic Development and Board of Regents are providing
$3 million and there is ...