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Vision

South Dakota is growing as a national leader in applied research focused on solar-powered biological nitrogen fixation and developing a new BioNitrogen Economy.

Mission

BNERC is integrating research activities with workforce training and STEM education to accelerate the development of BioNitrogen Economies. BNERC’ research is facilitating a transition from the fossil fuel-driven Chemo-Nitrogen Economy to a solar-powered BioNitrogen Economy in which many bioproducts can be eventually produced by genetically engineered N₂-fixing cyanobacteria and novel N₂-fixing crops, using abundant sunlight, atmospheric dinitrogen gas (N₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂).

Project Description

To help pioneer a new nitrogen bioeconomy, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from South Dakota State University, Oglala Lakota College, South Dakota Mines and the University of South Dakota, along with Houdek, an industry partner, has established the BioNitrogen Economy Research Center, leveraging AI/ML to build jurisdictional research capacity in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and its practical applications. BNERC will build sustainable capacity to leverage abundant atmospheric N₂ gas to create commercially viable, solar-powered BioNitrogen industries. This will be achieved by (1) study of N₂-fixing cyanobacteria and plant symbioses in natural ecosystems, (2) comparative multi-omics study of uniquely sunlight-driven, oxic N₂-fixation, (3) BNF-driven biomanufacturing, and (4) exploring reconstruction of N₂-fixing cyanobacteria and plants as a bridge toward creating many novel N₂-fixing crops.