Student Mentoring and Research Training in Biomanufacturing Technology (SMaRT-BioTech)
The project goal is to foster and train a knowledgeable, engaged, and empowered underrepresented Hispanic workforce in sustainable biomanufacturing. In collaboration with three R1 institutions, we, as a team with interdisciplinary backgrounds in biology, chemistry, engineering, economics, and education, will leverage education, research, and extension activities for undergraduates from four Hispanic-Serving Institutions (The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Dodge City Community College, South Texas College, and Southern Adventist University) with a research theme of upgrading biomass to biofuels, platform chemicals, and biopolymers. Every year, ten Hispanic students will take an active role in defining research challenges, performing experiments, analyzing data, and presenting results in five relevant modules (M1: biomass deconstruction; M2: saccharification and fermentation; M3: metabolic engineering; M4: process modeling; and M5: economic and environmental evaluation). This approach shifts the focus from passive learning to active engagement and stimulates critical thinking, collaboration, and the application of knowledge to real-world problems. We will accomplish the goal through three objectives: 1) Establish a 10-week Spring seminar series to deliver fundamental and advanced knowledge of biomanufacturing technologies; 2) Provide 8-week summer research and extension activities in five modules with specific research goals; and 3) Host 11-week Fall symposiums and career workshops to showcase the research findings and advance career development, respectively. This project helps address the demand for biomanufacturing workforce by mentoring and training fifty Hispanic students over five years. Consequently, the workforce will apply biomanufacturing technologies to solve a broad range of challenges in the food and agricultural fields.