NRT: Training Scientists to Solve Biofilm Challenges Using Artificial Intelligence and Smart Materials

This National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, in collaboration with the University of South Dakota, Black Hills State University, and Oglala Lakota College, will train students to address real-world challenges posed by biofilms. Biofilms are dense communities of microorganisms that stick to surfaces and protect themselves with a slimy outer layer. They are everywhere: on your teeth as plaque, in pipelines, wastewater, farmland, and hospitals. While biofilms can purify water and support soil health, harmful ones drive bacterial infections, cause corrosion of industrial equipment, and reduce the efficiency of food processing, costing governments and industries billions of dollars every year. At the same time, beneficial biofilms present billion-dollar opportunities in clean water, agriculture, and biomanufacturing. This traineeship will prepare students to understand and guide biofilm behavior applying artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The project anticipates training 70 students, including 26 funded trainees, across master’s and doctoral programs in data science, biosciences, and engineering. By combining AI and biology, this project supports national workforce development and regional innovation, especially within tribal and rural communities. The technical scope of this transdisciplinary project spans AI-enabled modeling, omics data analysis, materials engineering, and microbiome science and engineering. Trainees will gain hands-on experience in three convergent areas: (1) using Biofilm-Data Information Discovery System (Biofilm-DIDS) to analyze gene expression, (2) designing two-dimensional (2D) materials to influence microbes, and (3) investigating how surface properties affect gene–microbe interactions. The project’s goal is to equip STEM professionals with the skills needed to solve problems in infrastructure health, clean energy, water safety, and sustainable agriculture. Trainees will investigate challenges through experimental studies at field sites such as the Sanford Underground Research Facility and Yellowstone National Park. Professional preparation will include coursework in ethics, science communication, and entrepreneurship. By advancing knowledge of biofilm–material interactions and preparing graduates for careers in AI, biotechnology, and engineering, the program will support the development of a workforce prepared to advance national priorities. The NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Program is designed to encourage the development and implementation of bold, new, and potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. The program is dedicated to effective training of STEM graduate students in high-priority interdisciplinary or convergent research areas through comprehensive traineeship models that are innovative, evidence-based, and aligned with changing workforce and research needs. 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.