South Dakota Mines Student Expands Nanomaterials Research at National Laboratory

South Dakota Mines student Joshua Marquardt spent three months pushing the boundaries of nanotechnology as an intern at the prestigious Ames National Laboratory in Iowa through the U.S. Department of Energy(DOE)-funded Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program.

During the 10-week program, Marquardt collaborated with leading scientists nationwide in the Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, exploring groundbreaking nanomaterials with promising applications in photonics.

Marquardt focused on creating a process to make nanoparticles and studied how they react to light when placed in specific patterns. His project used gold nanoparticles to understand how the distance between them affects light—a discovery that could be important for future optical technology.

"It was fun meeting so many different people with such a variety of research interests within the same field," he said. “The lab was very large, with a lot of different tools available for use."

Marquardt worked with advanced electron microscopes, which were essential for imaging nanoparticles he made, which were as small as 50 nanometers in size. The images allowed him to confirm the success of various stages of his synthesis process.

Beyond the lab, Marquardt learned vital skills in scientific communication. He was mentored in poster presentation techniques and received guidance on composing a research paper summarizing his findings, providing him with a holistic introduction to both the technical and communicative demands of professional research.

This summer internship provides excellent opportunities for aspiring future scientists and engineers, said Shan Zhou, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nanoscience and Biomedical Engineering.

"Students like Joshua, who dedicate themselves to hands-on research, are vital to the future of nanoscience and engineering," he said. "Internships like these benefit the students and also advance our mission of driving science and technology forward by fostering valuable collaborations with national laboratories."

Marquardt is excited to use what he learned at Ames National Laboratory to further his research on nanoparticles with Zhou under a recently awarded DOE EPSCoR Lab Partnership grant.

"I loved my internship and would encourage others to apply," he said. “It equipped me with the skills, experience and connections that are invaluable in my pursuit of a career in nanotechnology.”