Infrastructure
MBSI is set to provide scientific solutions that will shape a better future quickly. We believe that when a talented team is united, research issues can be approached in an interdisciplinary fashion, and broad problems can be solved. MBSI will function as a nonprofit organization and is the 21st Century Science Institute.
How are we a 21st Century Science Institute?
The Mays Bennett Science Institute will be an international scholarly research center located in the pine forests of central South Carolina. This pristine natural environment offers an ideal locale for thought, reflection, research, and collaboration. MBSI will emphasize research, innovation, and building business and industry partnerships. In addition to fostering groundbreaking research, MBSI will also provide a powerful economic engine for the local economy. It will be like the Apollo team successfully reaching the Moon, yet MBSI will be permanently solving global problems
Our Institute
Campus
MBSI buildings will be designed and constructed to be as “green” as possible, with special emphasis on the utilization of natural and passive heating and cooling techniques. MBSI will be an example of responsible use of natural resources, and it will allow for offshoot projects that provide ongoing research, improvement, and monitoring of sustainable building and intelligent environmental systems. The latest green technology will be utilized to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum standards.
MBSI Resource Centre
The leadership of the Institute will be housed in the Main MBSI Building. It will have rooms for meetings and house the conference center and library. This building will be the main venue for visitors. It will provide a unique opportunity for the Institute to tell its story of science, technology, collaboration, and innovation to the world via architectural and interior design.
Main Building
The Main Building will enhance the cooperative environment so institute scholars, visiting dignitaries, scientists, and people from corporations and partner universities feel welcome at MBSI events. Regular public lectures will also be offered at this location to educate interested members of our local community and provide local teachers/school systems access to innovative research.
Library
The MBSI library acts as the digital asset manager, receiving and archiving pre-prints, pre-publication manuscripts, and raw data from our research work. This will provide other scientists with easy access to MBSI data for related investigations, allowing for yet another element in our collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach. We will have the technology available to meet capacity requirements for digital storage and retrieval. The library will house the latest tools for navigating scientific literature, a professional-quality media production studio for radio, television, and internet broadcasts, and a print shop for hard copy publication assistance.
Research Building
There will be three research buildings on campus and each for the core disciplines to research:
Climate science
Computational sciences
Biomedical Gerontology
Food Science
The buildings will be separate physically, but they will be joined by an interdisciplinary philosophy that permeates MBSI. Research buildings will have state-of-the-art facilities that support and augment the work of Institute Scholars. The computational sciences building will house advanced computing technology to support the entire campus.
Farm Land
The farmland of MBSI will be used to experiment with advanced agricultural practices to produce greater yields of legacy and novel crops. The focus is on nutritious foods using smaller footprints, less water usage and non-use of pesticides and herbicides. This farmland will be the hub of research in the region using artificial intelligence to grow food. The techniques developed will be shared with local farmers and farmers writ large.
Visitor Housing
There will be an on-campus building to accommodate visiting scholars and guests. People will travel to MBSI from around the world, and a guest house will be provided to house them for short stays.
Wireless Campus
MBSI will be a broadband high-speed wireless campus.
Our goal is to build a research campus of the future
Innovative features will include:
A university-like environment that supports and promotes collaboration, productivity, and reflection.
Work locations are composed of independent offices and cubicles, small group conference rooms, and auditoriums for presentations/conference events that can be self-directed.
Places for spontaneous interaction between scholars, such as the cafeteria, library, lounges, and outdoor spaces.
Minimizing the distinction between MBSI buildings and nature, including running/walking trails, outdoor sports facilities, botanical gardens, and other green spaces.
Environmental sustainability features include a water recycling system, photovoltaic solar panels or solar shingles, and an abundance of glass to reduce the use of artificial lighting. Our campus will be designed to achieve a LEED Platinum certification.
