Collaborative Research: E-RISE RII: Establishment of the Mississippi Nano-bio and ImmunoEngineering Consortium

This collaborative project between seven institutions establishes the Mississippi Nano-bio and ImmunoEngineering Consortium (NIEC) to enhance biomaterials research, education, and workforce development in Mississippi. Partnering institutions include Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi State University, Tougaloo College, the University of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the University of Southern Mississippi. NIEC will develop new materials, test their interactions with biological systems, and evaluate their effectiveness in treating diseases, with a focus on addressing health disparities in Mississippi and the region, ensuring long-term benefits to the state, region, and country. The project's goals include synthesizing and characterizing novel biomaterials appropriate for safe clinical use, educating and retaining a diverse group of scientists and engineers in Mississippi, and securing sustained funding to advance this work. By building a comprehensive research network, promoting inclusivity, and supporting local biotech startups, NIEC seeks to impact science, healthcare, and the state's economy, creating high-tech, well-paying jobs in Mississippi and fostering economic growth. The project aims to create a robust pipeline of next-generation materials by fostering a collaborative, multidisciplinary research team centered around three research focus areas (RFAs): (i) developing biomimetic materials to modulate nano-immuno interactions via protein corona engineering, (ii) designing polymer nanocarriers for efficient nucleic acid complexation and release, and (iii) developing pathogen resilient bioinspired polymeric scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Leveraging NIEC's expertise in nanomaterials synthesis, physicochemical characterization, and computational modeling, these RFAs will form an integrated design loop that will enhance understanding of the interface between biological systems and nanomaterials, establishing generalizable structure-property-function relationships that support the safe and effective translation of innovative biomaterials into clinical applications. In addition to the three biomaterials RFAs, an evaluation of state policies and regulations influencing the growth of the biotech industry in Mississippi will be conducted. This project will measurably impact the preparation of a diverse research-ready workforce that can foster the economic development in MS through (i) leveraging existing undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral, and earlier career faculty training; (ii) strategically hiring faculty, providing seed grants, and offering mentoring for junior faculty and postdoctoral researchers; and (iii) promoting the development of intellectual property and its commercialization. This project is funded by the NSF EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence (E-RISE) Research Infrastructure Improvement Program. The E-RISE RII program supports the development and implementation of sustainable broad networks of individuals, institutions, and organizations that will transform the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) research capacity and competitiveness in a jurisdiction within a field of research aligned with the jurisdiction's science and technology priorities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.