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 enginee