RAPID CITY, S.D. (Sept. 16, 2025) – A unique “Pyramid Approach” pioneered at South Dakota Mines is proving that layered mentorship can accelerate both learning and discovery, strengthening the region’s role in biotechnology research.
For more than a decade, Rajesh Sani, Ph.D., professor in the Karen M. Swindler Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the Department of Chemistry, Biology and Health Sciences, has championed the model. His system unites high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty in a living chain of teaching, training and scientific exploration.
“The Pyramid Approach connects learners at every stage, from high school students to postdocs, in a structured, hands-on research environment,” said Sani, who directs the Multiomics And Synthetic Biology Center (MASON) Lab at Mines. “It accelerates technical skills, fosters mentorship and inspires scientific curiosity, building a pipeline of talent ready to tackle science and engineering’s toughest challenges.”
The pyramid structure places Sani at the top mentoring doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, who then guide undergraduates, who in turn mentor high school students. The result is a cascade of skills, knowledge and innovation that strengthens every level of the scientific journey.
This summer’s program included participants from across the country and around the globe. High school sophomore Krishna Deepak of Franklin, Tenn., worked alongside Mines biomedical engineering major Nathan Strickland and undergraduates Anjali Thapliyal and Nishka Kanodiya from Shoolini University in India. Together they advanced work in biomedical nanogels and biotechnology techniques under the mentorship of Mines research scientist Dipayan Samanta, Ph.D.
University of North Dakota student Emmanuel Duot trained under Mines doctoral student Navdeep Kaur, while Rapid City Stevens High School science teacher Dylan Steffen partnered with Mines postdoctoral scientist Ram Singh, Ph.D., to sharpen classroom-ready lab skills in soil sampling, bacterial isolation and DNA extraction.
The research is already producing results. According to Sani, the summer collaborations will yield three peer-reviewed papers and three book chapters—evidence that the Pyramid Approach builds both knowledge and concrete contributions to science.
The group also took science into the community through events like Earth Day and Neutrino Day in the Black Hills. At one booth, youth tried “Burst the Bacteria,” a hands-on activity led by Singh, which illustrated how bacteria form biofilms and interact with bacteriophages.
Sani said the model demonstrates how layered mentorship can ripple outward—strengthening classrooms, inspiring future scientists and reinforcing South Dakota Mines’ leadership in STEM education and biotechnology research.
“It stands as a model for how structured, layered training can prepare the next generation to lead in science and engineering,” Sani said.
