Pearl, Biological Science, University of Rochester
What is life? How genes and proteins function and regulate in an organism? What are the underlying workings of cells? It was these initial curiosities that led me to be a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major. After 4 years of exploration in this magnetic biological world, I am convinced that I have made the right choice: I am more than eager to step into the coming, post-genomic" era to decode life in three dimensions at the atomic and molecular level.
Besides a GPA of 4.0, averaging 93 points out of 100 in major courses, I am a 5-time winner of No. 1 position for the past six semesters. In my Junior year, I was selected by Professor Xia to work in the Genetic & Cell Engineering Laboratory, a national key lab, as a Research Assistant along with her graduate students for M.S. and Ph.D.
In her lab, I was assigned to work on the identification of intergeneric somatic hybrids between wheat and related grasses at different levels, such as DNA, chromosome and protein. I mastered several biochemical and molecular biology techniques: DNA isolation and purification from plant and E.coli, protein separation and purification, southern blot and chromatography. To inspect transgenic outcome and expression of target gene, I used methods including RAPD and esterase and peroxidase isozyme analysis. Currently I am working on the analysis of wheat seed storage proteins. By using SDS-PAGE (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and PCR amplification with specially designed primers, we hope to find a few molecular markers that can be applied routinely to the selection of better quality lines in breeding populations. In 1996, it was in this lab where the world's first instance of distant hybridization between wheat (T. Aestivum) and A.elongatum was reported. I am very excited and proud knowing that part of my work will contribute to the final result of the whole project.
With the recent remarkable advances in life sciences, I am deeply moved and inspired by the promise of the ultimate goal expected by the scientific community to describe the collective properties of whole organisms in a precise and quantitative way: structural & functional Genomics and Proteomics. I come to realize that gaining the DNA sequence heralds the end of the beginning. The next step in this biological revolution is "functional genomics", not simply the assignation of function to the identified genes but the organization and control of genetic pathways that come together to make up the physiology of an organism. I wonder how cells function in health and disease, the relationship between structure and function of macromolecular, gene regulation, enzyme mechanisms and regulation, and signal transduction. I equally find a keen interest in rational drug design and development because of great potentials it could offer to save lives and improve human health and well being. I feel that what I have learned is far from sufficient to tackle these problems, thus I have decided to continue my education by pursuing a doctoral degree. I believe that as a quick learner, with a solid academic background and zest for lab work, I will get a deeper understanding of the molecular organization and operation of cells, tissues and whole organisms through my graduate studies.
When I am applying for graduate school, I try to organize my thoughts into three major considerations: the school, the program and the people. In my opinion, all three stand out as being particularly distinguished at ABC University, a collegial, collaborative research environment having a strong faculty and interdisciplinary program. I have no doubt that doing my graduate work here in the DEF Program is the best thing I could do at this stage of my life.
After completing my graduate study, I would like to pursue postdoctoral research followed by careers in academia. I expect that research-intensive Ph.D. training here will help me be well prepared for careers in biomedical research, biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries.
