Dream Science Trips | Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge

Marina Dimitrov, 2009 Top Young Scientist

One of the opportunities I had as the winner of the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge was to get an inside look at 3M Headquarters in Minneapolis, MN. I spent several days touring the labs and seeing the science and the innovation behind the products that 3M makes, as well as meeting many of the people who work on those products. This kind of visit is offered to very few, and it is an honor to be one of them. In fact, even my parents weren't allowed to come with me. And I am extremely happy to say that I was given my very own lab coat with 3M and my name embroidered on it. How's that for starting a trip to 3M?

I spent the morning of the first day working in the inorganic chemistry lab, where I got the chance to mix different substances together to see what kinds of nanoparticles would result from their combination. What was especially exciting was that these were experiments that hadn't been done before, so I was really doing something that no one else had. Oh yes, and I also got a nice piece of glassware for my very own. 3M people are so nice! Yes, well, my morning in the lab was followed by lunch in 3M with several of the scientists that work there, and I was able to get more insight into the everyday happenings for a 3M scientist as they told me about their interests and what they do as part of their jobs. During the afternoon I learned about how biotechnology is used in different 3M technology platforms and manufactured products. For instance, I was shown how the level of bioluminescence could indicate the presence of different sections of DNA, or how many bacteria and other contaminants are on a surface. That first day was exhausting, but amazing.

My second day at 3M Headquarters was just as intriguing as the first. I spent part of the morning getting a tour of the micro replication section of the labs, where different materials and films with specialized structures at the microscopic level are made. After that I learned about how 3-D works, got a look at some of the 3-D technology that 3M makes, and worked on a 3-D screen that was being tested. That day at lunch I got to meet and share stories with some more 3M scientists. The final part of my second day was spent with some electron microscopes. Under immense magnification, I had a new view of hair, pollen, computer chips, and a bee. I was also able to observe some of the nanoparticles that I made in the inorganic chemistry lab the day before at the atomic level. And that's what was really amazing: the fact that I was actually seeing the tiny atoms that make up everything around us. I actually got to control the microscope's zoom and movement as well, which made it all doubly interesting. This brought to an end my visit to the actual 3M labs.

My last morning in Minneapolis, my parents and I were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the Science Museum of Minnesota. This included a peek into part of the museum's collection that is not on display, the lab for preparing specimens (I'm sure there's a proper name for that...), and the paleontology lab.

All in all, visiting 3M, touring the Science Museum, and getting the chance to meet people in the fields that I myself may one day pursue was an inspiring way for me to reinforce exactly how cool science really is.