About the company:
In the last 10 years, Nanocopoeia Inc. has established a name for itself as a major player in the realm of nanotechnology. Their patent portfolio includes ElectroNanospray, ™ which can create nanoparticles out of virtually any material that can be put into solution or suspension. Today, this St. Paul-based biotech company concentrates its efforts on developing proprietary solutions to complex healthcare challenges.
Last year, Nanocopoeia was deemed an essential business and kept their operations up and running throughout the lockdown. In order to stay on top of their workflow, Principal Scientist Howard Chen and his team turned to the SciTech Internship Program to hire a Pharmaceutical R&D Intern.
Meet the intern:
Ryan Horejsi was a chemical engineering major at the University of Minnesota. He had his first internship with Nanocopoeia in 2018 and returned for a second year in 2020. By providing support to Nanocopoeia’s product portfolio development, Horejsi’s projects included everything from manufacturing prototype formulations to physical product testing.
When it came to company culture, Horejsi said, he really enjoyed their “Do your own thing approach […] the culture here is efficient and relaxed.”
Once he’d familiarized himself with the tools he’d be working with, Horejsi could confidently go through his daily routine. He would come in for his shift, take a look at the board where the day’s tasks were posted and work on the ones he was capable of accomplishing. If there were tasks he wasn’t certain of, the opportunity to collaborate was always available.
“When I first started, there were lots of instruments that I wasn’t familiar with, but now I am. Collecting and analyzing data myself that I know I’ll get to present, it’s an ego booster and I learned how quickly I can adapt to new circumstances
“Our interns come to us looking to learn,” said Chen. “We provide that opportunity for them.”
Get involved
Make an impact on a future STEM professional’s life and strengthen your talent pipeline. Start planning your internship today at scitechmn.org. At least 100 wage matches are available on a first come, first hire basis between now and August 2021.
Are you a returning student? The new program year is underway! Reactivate your account and start applying for internships today.