Undergraduate Summer Research Assistant (Nanomaterials & Gold Nanoclusters)
Job Description
Institution: Carbon to Metal Coatings Institute (C2MCI), Queen’s University
Location: Kingston, Ontario, Canada
A Summer Research Assistant position is available at the Carbon to Metal Coatings Institute (C2MCI), a multidisciplinary research centre at Queen’s University focused on advanced coatings, nanomaterials, and surface technologies. The institute brings together scientists, clinicians, and engineers from Canada and around the world to develop next-generation technologies for metal protection, semiconductor manufacturing, and nanomedicine.
The successful candidate will join the Crudden Group and contribute to a project investigating the in-insect stability and biotransformation of gold nanoclusters for advanced sensing and material engineering applications.
Research Project
The project focuses on the synthesis and biological processing of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) protected gold nanoclusters. The research will explore how these nanomaterials are transformed by biological systems and how such transformations affect their chemical structure and function.
Key Responsibilities
- Synthesize water-soluble NHC-protected gold nanoclusters.
- Introduce synthesized nanoclusters into the diet of selected insect larvae.
- Extract processed clusters from insect tissue and waste.
- Characterize chemical modifications using advanced analytical techniques including high-resolution mass spectrometry and NMR.
- Investigate enzymatic transformations of nanocluster ligand shells.
- Support data collection and analysis related to nanomaterial stability and transformation.
Candidate Profile
- 3rd or 4th year undergraduate student in Chemistry or a closely related field.
- Strong interest in nanomaterial synthesis, biochemistry, or surface functionalization.
- Ability to work independently in a laboratory research environment.
- Interest in interdisciplinary nanoscience research.
Position Details
- Duration: 4 months (May 1 – August 30, 2026).
- Compensation: $12,000 stipend.
- Supervisors: Dr. Monika Snowdon and Dr. Reza Nezam Ezhieh.
- Institution: Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit a single PDF file containing:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Academic transcripts
The file should be named using the format: LastName_FirstName_INSECT.
Email subject line: “C2MCI Insect S26 Last name First Name”.
Applications should be sent to:
More information and the official opportunity page can be found here: https://www.carbon-2-metal-institute.queensu.ca/copy-of-opportunities
Queen’s University is committed to employment equity and diversity and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds.