Research impacts everyday life

BY KELLY RUSCH

Whether you ’ re a business owner or a consumer, research impacts us ever y day At North Dakota State University, we strive for research that contributes to the lives of citizens in the region, fulfilling our land-grant mission

A study by EMSI showed net economic impact of NDSU research at $74.8 million annually. Licensing and royalties based on NDSU research discoveries reached a record $2 17 million Earnings effects from start-up companies sprouting from NDSU research total $3 million.

While numbers provide quantifiable results, the impact of NDSU research extends further

Perhaps your agribusiness benefits from four of the top five hard red spring wheat varieties developed through research at NDSU and the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Varieties of spring wheat developed by NDSU and its partners were planted on nearly 53 percent of the acres in North Dakota in 2013 Nine of the top 10 durum varieties developed at NDSU accounted for more than 92 percent of these acres planted in the state last year. Or maybe your agribusiness depends on potatoes, flax, barley, oats or soybeans developed through NDSU research In livestock operations, NDSU research helps to maximize production and mitigate disease

Potentially, your crop byproducts might be used by North Dakota-based startup company c2renew, which arose from NDSU research focused on turning agricultural waste into biocomposite plastics

If oil development affects you, NDSU research on population projections, law enforcement needs and soil conservation provides community leaders with planning tools amidst unprecedented growth If you ’ re in energy or agriculture, unmanned aerial systems research at NDSU may benefit your business.

You may know someone in the military who may benefit from NDSU research Projects include radio frequency identification to track assets, sensors to secure perimeter defenses, and antimicrobial tent fabric for field hospitals

In the future, someone with cancer may benefit from pharmaceutical research at NDSU investigating less toxic ways to treat tumors Or you may know someone who could benefit from NDSU research on how nutrition during pregnancy may affect an offspring’s chance of developing breast cancer in later life

Maybe you ’ re a boater or conservationist dealing with zebra mussels in area lakes who may benefit from coatings research at NDSU Or a gardener who has planted varieties of oaks, ash, and other materials developed through NDSU horticultural research.

Through research, NDSU students learn teamwork, critical thinking, and communication skills desired by your business Students can explore their entrepreneurial passions through research. For example, Streeter, N D , native Erin Nyren-Erickson received her doctorate degree in pharmaceutical sciences, master’s degree in business administration and bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from NDSU. While a student, she worked in NDSU research labs Nyren-Erickson licensed a technology she helped develop while at NDSU. This tool provides a faster, more sensitive and cost-effective method to test the blood-thinning drug heparin for contaminants Her biotech business and lab are now launched in NDSU’s Research and Technology Park.

University research opportunities play a role in shaping the future of students and the communities in which we live. How will research benefit you? PB

Kelly Rusch

Vice President for Research and Creative Activity North Dakota State University

Kelly Rusch@ndsu edu Twitter: @NDSU

North Dakota State College Of Science

WAHPETON | FARGO | ONLINE 800-342-4325 ndscs.edu

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