Innovative Minds: Viraj Pandey

Bret Harte Middle School | 7th grade | 12 years old

Graphene Quantum Dots in the Conservation of Endangered Species

About the Idea

Meet Viraj. Viraj synthesized and innovatively applied graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to help track endangered species.

Why did you enter the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?

This competition is an amazing opportunity to be heard and get recognized and might take my project to the next level so I can implement my idea in a real-world setting and on real test subjects. This could be the beginning of a long journey and this challenge might be the reason I will get there!

What is your favorite invention of the last 100 years, and why?

Single-layered nano-sized graphene, one of the thinnest materials ever made and the strongest man-made materials ever measured. Because it is non-toxic and nano-sized, it has outstanding biological and medical applications; for example, it can be injected into living organisms to deliver drugs directly to specific cells.

In 15 years I hope to be...

a 27-year-old scientist working in the field of physics or chemistry and hopefully contributing to the world through my research. I believe in applying science to unravel the puzzles we see in nature. There is still so much to know, so much to cure, so much to prove. Maybe I will discover something that will benefit every human in the world and every field of science.

Science is a tool to reveal the cosmos’s hidden agenda.

Meet the Mentor

Dr. Patrick Zimmerman

3M Division Scientist

Patrick brings unique expertise and background to the automotive, adhesives, aerospace industries, and more. He has a wealth of knowledge and leadership skills and is a mentor to his teams and colleagues.

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