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Sample:
Statement Of Purpose
Sample
SOP's
Biophysics
The
Biophysics Student admitted to Biology Departments at
Harvard University
Applicant’s name: Ivan Ivanov
It is noticed that science develops in splashes, each
significantly advancing our understanding of the Nature. The 19th
century was the time of rapid development of thermodynamics and
electrodynamics; in the beginning of the 20th century quantum
mechanics and relativity theory were born. In the search for
secrets of nature science has reached extremely high and low
energies as well as large and small length scales. Still until
recently we knew very little about one of the most complex on
everyday’s length and energy scales systems – life. Now we are
at the dawn of efflorescence in molecular biology, which provides
an excellent basis for application of modern physics, biochemistry
and computational techniques. Revelations of molecular structure
become extremely crucial, as they provide insights into the way
molecules work.
My interest in the role of biomolecular structure in information
processing and signal transduction pathways in the cell has
developed during the last two years, while I have been a student
of Molecular Biophysics sub-department of MIPT. Processing of
biological information plays a crucial role in the existence and
development of biological systems and its infringement often leads
to different kinds of diseases. The structure and, consequently,
the function of the involved biomolecules is an important key to
the understanding of these processes. To further study processing
of biological information and methods of structure determination I
joined the research group of Dr. X, focusing on the structure and
function of membrane proteins, lipids and lipid-protein systems.
In September xxxx I started my research in the group of xx, Small
City, Russia. I studied the properties of xxx under various
conditions. Work there not only deepened my knowledge about
crystallisation and lipid systems, but also gave me knowledge and
experience of strengths and limitations of structure investigation
by neutron scattering. I became familiar with the theoretical
background of small angle neutron scattering, experimental setup
and data treatment techniques.
In March xxxx I continued my research in the group of Dr. X at the
Institute of XX. The ultimate goal of our research is to explain
all stages of signal transduction during the chemo- and phototaxis.
Currently I am involved in several projects on the structure and
functioning of xxx, the specimen of microbial phototaxis system,
in the complex with xxx as well as without it. My current task is
to obtain crystals which xxx. During this work I acquired a broad
range of experimental experience and theoretical background
necessary for crystallisation and structure determination of
membrane proteins. One of the most challenging tasks in my project
was to find the best conditions for trapping intermediate states
of xx in crystals. It was a combination of thorough theoretical
analysis of spectral properties of the protein with further
experimental examination and finally implementation of theoretical
findings. As a result I obtained crystals of xxx which diffract to
xx on a synchrotron.
Having succeeded in the current research, employing the knowledge
from different fields of physics and biochemistry, I feel well
prepared for the further challenging studies and research in the
fields of molecular and structural biology, perhaps on very
different topics, as well as on the topics I am familiar with. I
regard structure investigations to be not only the method of
obtaining a particular structure, but one from the collection of
methods of life sciences which together advance our understanding
of molecular mechanisms of life. Therefore I want to study a range
of biophysical, biochemical and computational techniques that are
used to reveal function of biomolecules and information processing
by biological systems. Spectroscopy, quantum chemistry and
computational structural biology techniques, like molecular
dynamics and Brownian dynamics are of great interest to me as they
are hand in hand with structure determination methods. Therefore
multidisciplinary training program in Molecular, Cellular and
Chemical Biology perfectly suits my scientific interests. Research
in these areas is very active in Dr. X's, Dr. X’s, Dr. X’s,
and Dr. X’s groups at XX University.
I want to continue my education at the Department of Molecular and
Cellular Biology of XX University. I am convinced that my
participation in your Ph.D. program will give me thorough
education and excellent research experience, which will advance me
to my dream – discovering new secrets of Nature.
Ivan Ivanov
16th of November, 2002
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