Descending into Discovery: Reflections from America’s Underground Lab
Descending into the Sanford Underground Research Facility revealed more than a historic mine turned laboratory. It exposed South Dakota’s quiet but powerful role in answering the universe’s deepest questions. From Ray Davis’s pioneering experiments to DUNE’s 800-mile neutrino beam, the state is building on generations of vision and partnership.
What USD’s First Hackathon Revealed About South Dakota’s Talent Pipeline
USD’s first hackathon revealed more than student ingenuity. It exposed a talent pipeline that’s deeper than expected. Students paired advanced tools with foundational methods, while bringing a broader, human-centered perspective to the problems they chose to solve. The capability is there. What happens next is the question.
Real World Evidence for MedTech Startups: Insights from Ian Weimer
For early-stage medtech companies, proving value often comes long before a product is built. In this conversation, Ian Weimer shares how real world evidence is shifting from a niche capability to essential infrastructure, and what that means for founders building in a changing regulatory and funding environment.
Designing Systems That Scale: A Conversation with Marc Niamba
Dr. Marc-Antoine Niamba discusses discipline, systems thinking, and building innovation infrastructure at USD Discovery District’s growing bioscience hub.
Building Awareness Against the Silent Pandemic of Antimicrobial Resistance
The USD Discovery District recently hosted an insightful podcast conversation exploring one of the most pressing yet under-discussed global health threats: antimicrobial resistance (AMR), often described as a silent pandemic.
In this episode of the podcast, host Tung Nguyen sat down with Dr. Patrick Rynn Hogan, DHA, author of the newly published book The Silent Pandemic of Antimicrobial Resistance: Why the Next Global Health Crisis Has Already Begun.
Dr. Hogan, CEO of Prescient Healthcare, shared compelling insights into why AMR represents a system-level failure that spans healthcare, agriculture, supply chains, and innovation ecosystems. He emphasized that while AMR has been evolving for decades, its impacts are accelerating—contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths annually through conditions like sepsis, UTIs, and persistent infections that were once easily treatable.
What the Governor’s Giant Vision Competition Reveals About South Dakota’s Startup Ecosystem
The recent Governor’s Giant Vision Competition in Pierre, South Dakota, offered a compelling view of the state’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape. Reflecting on the experience, Tung Nguyen—who previously participated as a finalist in 2022—observed a noticeable elevation in the event’s execution and the quality of ventures emerging from across the state. Events like Giant Vision reinforce the importance of coordinated innovation infrastructure as South Dakota’s startup ecosystem continues to mature.
From Ideas to Execution: What a Week Reinforced for Our Work in Sioux Falls
From warming up space at Building 1 to engaging global innovators in Minneapolis, the 2026 Medical Alley Summit reinforced what matters most for South Dakota’s bioscience growth: focus, trust, and execution.
USD Discovery District Returns as Sponsor for 2026 Medical Alley Summit, Reinforces South Dakota’s Bioscience Momentum and National Connectivity
The USD Discovery District returns as a sponsor of the 2026 Medical Alley Summit, highlighting South Dakota’s growing role in bioscience innovation. The district will spotlight a new global case study on OmegaQuant and join a national conversation on the future of healthcare.
Sharing the Inside View: Reflections from the USD Discovery District Team
The USD Discovery District has marked a pivotal year in South Dakota’s innovation landscape, but its foundation rests on decades of strategic vision. In this episode of Favorable Environments, host Tung Nguyen joins his fellow USD Discovery District leaders — Ryan Oines (President and CEO) and Marc Niamba (Director of Biotech Development) — for a reflective conversation on the District’s first operational year since launching Building 1 in January 2025. Their discussion reveals what it takes to build a research park from the ground up, why collaboration drives sustainable growth, and how South Dakota is creating the right conditions for bioscience to thrive long-term.
How OmegaQuant Scaled Global Diagnostics from Sioux Falls
Discover how OmegaQuant grew from a single-room lab in Sioux Falls to delivering diagnostic tests to 70+ countries. This case study explores the company’s scientific origins, global reach, and how its move into the USD Discovery District helped unlock the next stage of growth—without losing its Midwestern roots.