DEAR0002022
Cooperative Agreement
Overview
Grant Description
MSU PLANS TO DELIVER COUPLED PLANT AND MICROBIAL SOLUTIONS TO OPTIMIZE CORN NITROGEN RELATIONS AND ENHANCE BENEFICIAL INTERACTIONS
WITHIN THE SOIL FOOD WEB. OUR APPROACH TARGETS CURRENT INEFFICIENCIES IN THE AGRICULTURAL NITROGEN(N) CYCLE, PROVIDING
INTERVENTIONS THAT SYNCHRONIZE SOIL N SUPPLY WITH PLANT DEMAND. USING SPATIOTEMPORALLY TUNED PLANT GENETIC ENGINEERING, THEIR
PROJECT WILL ENHANCE ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND INTERNAL N METABOLISM, LEVERAGE BENEFICIAL ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI (AMF)
TO EXTEND ROOT ABSORPTIVE AREA, AND INCREASE THE ABUNDANCE OF NON-PATHOGENIC SOIL NEMATODES THAT MINERALIZE NITROGEN.
REMOBILIZATION OF N FROM LEAVES TO ROOT TISSUE AT THE END OF THE SEASON AND THE INCORPORATION OF COVER CROPS PROMOTES CONTINUOUS
N CAPTURE AND RETENTION, REDUCING LEACHING AND EMISSIONS DURING OFF-SEASON PERIODS AND PRIMING THE SYSTEM FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
WITHIN THE SOIL FOOD WEB. OUR APPROACH TARGETS CURRENT INEFFICIENCIES IN THE AGRICULTURAL NITROGEN(N) CYCLE, PROVIDING
INTERVENTIONS THAT SYNCHRONIZE SOIL N SUPPLY WITH PLANT DEMAND. USING SPATIOTEMPORALLY TUNED PLANT GENETIC ENGINEERING, THEIR
PROJECT WILL ENHANCE ROOT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE AND INTERNAL N METABOLISM, LEVERAGE BENEFICIAL ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI (AMF)
TO EXTEND ROOT ABSORPTIVE AREA, AND INCREASE THE ABUNDANCE OF NON-PATHOGENIC SOIL NEMATODES THAT MINERALIZE NITROGEN.
REMOBILIZATION OF N FROM LEAVES TO ROOT TISSUE AT THE END OF THE SEASON AND THE INCORPORATION OF COVER CROPS PROMOTES CONTINUOUS
N CAPTURE AND RETENTION, REDUCING LEACHING AND EMISSIONS DURING OFF-SEASON PERIODS AND PRIMING THE SYSTEM FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE TECHNOLOGIES TO EMEND AND OBVIATE SYNTHETIC NITROGEN’S TOLL ON EMISSIONS (TEOSYNTE) PROGRAM AIMS TO LOWER NITROUS OXIDE (N2O) EMISSIONS FROM THE CULTIVATION OF CORN AND SORGHUM USED FOR UNITED STATES (U.S.) ETHANOL PRODUCTION BY 50%. THE PROGRAM WILL EMPHASIZE PLANT AND MICROBIAL BIO-DESIGN STRATEGIES THAT LOWER THE APPLICATION OF SYNTHETIC NITROGEN (N) FERTILIZER ON CORN AND SORGHUM FIELDS WHILE MAINTAINING CROP YIELDS AND REDUCING 50% OF N2O EMISSIONS.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
East Lansing,
Michigan
United States
Geographic Scope
City-Wide
Michigan State University was awarded
Optimizing Corn Nitrogen Relations with Plant-Microbial Solutions
Cooperative Agreement DEAR0002022
worth $5,600,000
from Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy in June 2026 with work to be completed primarily in East Lansing Michigan United States.
The grant
has a duration of 3 years and
was awarded through assistance program 81.135 Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy.
The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity TECHNOLOGIES TO EMEND AND OBVIATE SYNTHETIC NITROGEN’S TOLL ON EMISSIONS (TEOSYNTE).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 6/10/26
Period of Performance
6/4/26
Start Date
6/3/29
End Date
Funding Split
$5.6M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$5.6M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
DEAR0002022
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Public/State Controlled Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
897030 ADVANCED RSRCH PROJ AGENCY ARPA-E
Funding Office
897002 ADVANCED RSRCH PROJ AGENCY ARPA-E
Awardee UEI
R28EKN92ZTZ9
Awardee CAGE
4B834
Performance District
MI-07
Senators
Debbie Stabenow
Gary Peters
Gary Peters
Modified: 6/10/26