STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
(Draft)
I have known the challenging offering of PhD positions available at Caltech for a long time. I am very aware of the leading role of Caltech both in molecular biology and other areas. Not being the last, the award for being the best institute to work for was among the most influential facts that concerned me about Caltech.
My great interest in biology started on my secondary schooldays. My high school was one of the best high schools which were oriented to train students as scientists. Our classes were mainly on Science and Mathematics. In the high school, I was known with my top scores in biology exams and high interest and ability in biology. I attended in national biology Olympiads twice in Turkey from Kırıkkale High School of Science. Due to my capability in understanding of biology and reading of long paper and subject without any boring, and also interpretation of biological events with ease, choice of study in the university was very easy. After studying very hard for three years in the high school, I took the Turkish Nationwide University Entrance Examination (ÖSS) in 2001. I passed the exam by ranking in the first 0.7% of about one million and seven hundreds applicants. In our country, although I could have choice of attendance to the best and most wanted departments such as Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering and also all medical departments including Hacettepe University Medical Department, I wanted to be a scientist and I have chosen to study at molecular biology and genetics department. Among the universities having this department I was admitted to one of the most prestigious and difficult programs of METU, which accepts top 1% of all Turkish Universities applicants. Competitive students, professional faculty, large scope of advanced molecular biology and genetics courses along with laboratory experiences to a great extent strengthened my educational background and made my undergraduate years very challenging and effective in terms of cooperativeness accompanied by rivalry and communication skills. I had chosen the most qualified university, Middle East Technical University. Now, I am exited about the prospect of a position at Caltech, one of the top institutions all around the world.
Having majored in Molecular Biology and Genetics department at the Middle East Technical University (METU), university education has broadened my perspective in many respects and provided me with a sound knowledge of Molecular biology and genetics. In addition to my theoretical knowledge, I had the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in those areas in winter 2005 and summer 2005, working as an undergraduate student in Dr. Akkaya’s Laboratory at METU and Dr. Stathopoulos’s Laboratory at Caltech (California Institute of Technology) respectively. As an undergraduate student in Dr. AKKAYA's Laboratory, we studied on plant biotechnology, particularly determination of the genes induced upon biotic and abiotic stresses such as fungi and boron. In this laboratory, I put my first molecular biology knowledge about PCR, DNA and RNA isolation, Reverse PCR, Electrophoresis techniques and some other basic molecular biology experiments into practice. This was a very useful experience for me. However, this summer, the most exciting and great step of my career in developmental biology started with SURF (summer undergraduate research fellowship) at one of the top universities of the world, Caltech. I studied at Caltech in the Stathopoulos' Lab as an undergraduate researcher by SURF award. I worked on a project about Developmental Biology. I tried to identify the transcription factors that recognize a specific site in ind enhancer affecting dorsaletaral patterning in early Drosophila embryo by performing one hybrid screens. In this lab, I did most of the experiments alone. As I mentioned in my CV, I have learned a number of basic protocols about yeast. I got used to studying effectively in a lab and learned how to implement a scientific experiment.
Furthermore, since I believe that Genetics play a prominent role in modernization of life, I studied Molecular Biology and Genetics at METU. As a genetics and molecular biology student, I took a great interest in subject of Molecular Biology of Cancer, HIV, Cell Resistance Factors, Developmental Biology and Embryology. While I try to understand not only what the world is but also what the life is, I believe that study of developmental biology is very important. Moreover, my interest in Developmental Biology and embryology provided by its exceptional complexity and regulations during formation of a complete organism from a single cell and lots of unknowns led to study a developmental biology subject “Identification of Transcription Factors That Recognize the ATTCATTCATGA Site Affecting Dorsalateral Patterning in Drosophila” during my internship at Caltech. Understanding of these regulations and systems controlling development will also be very useful to find relations between organism and study of taxonomy, phylogenetic and unknown gene functions.
I decided to pursue a graduate education on genetics and related subjects and I have been an undergraduate researcher in the department of biotechnology in METU. I started to work together with two Ph.D students in the Dr. Akkaya’s Laboratory on functional genetics. Thinking the importance of the protein-protein interaction mechanisms, I tried to understand the biotic stress triggering defense responses in plants by performing infections. The importance of abiotic stress on gene regulation also interested me; therefore, I tried to understand and assent the Boron (B) tolerance and accumulation related gene in specific Gypsophyla plants.
In my future life, I want to study on early developmental stages of embryo and pattern formation. After human genome project, the studies on genes and unknown parts of genome became more and more important. Our understanding of nature will be clearer if we get better information and insight about genes related with development and patterning in early embryos. At the beginning of 2005, I prepared a proposal project together with Dr. Angelike Stathopoulos, and it was accepted as my summer research project. The initial title of the research was “Identification of transcription factors that recognize the RGGNCAG and GCTGGAA sites”. With increasing knowledge about the target site, we made some modifications in the studied enhancer sequence. To identify these factors, we chose one-hybrid screens assays because it offered both easy and rapid procedure by using commercial screening kits. The result of this project would be identification of transcription factors that recognize the A-box, and this would help identify putative mesoderm enhancers and it would help understand regulation of gene expression in dorsal regions of the neurogenic ectoderm further. However, time was restricted and optimization of the procedures to a new established laboratory took time. In addition, I sometimes searched for suitable yeast host and sometimes I looked at some equipment from neighbor laboratories for yeast plasmid isolations and yeast studies such as mixers and Electroporation instrument. Although I could find necessary items and equipments, unfortunately, I could not identify any transcription factors. Even though I could not get these transcription factors related with our conserved sequence A-box found in drosophila species, this project showed closely the world of scientific research to me, studying alone here have taught me that mistakes do not always have to hold you back, and often take you closer to your goal. Things often look easy to do at first glance, but a lot of hard work is involved in making them seem that way. After standardizing some protocols myself, I now understand the kind of effort that goes into developing the techniques that make my work so much easier. Of course, due to lack of results, though I prepared a final report for SURF, I could not send it to any journal to be published. My study has just remained as the initial optimization studies of one-hybrid screens for future studies.
The sharing of ideas and new findings has always been a vital part of my undergraduate life. I have always tried to attend seminar and talks given in our department. I have also been very interested in sharing of ideas with my friends via biology student journal clubs. In this journal club, we came together to discuss new topics with our understanding in a more free environment and all students had the right to tell their ideas and present their knowledge voluntarily.
I will also finish my undergraduate study one semester earlier than expected. For this purpose, for example, I have registered 11 courses instead of 5 or 6 in this semester. Three of them are technical elective courses, and others are must courses should be taken. It seems to be difficult and time management for all of the courses would be problem. But, I approach such challenging things positively, I summarize my attitude as below and I use it as my signature in my emails:
Give up to say “I do not have time”, try to separate time.
I have a strong wish to contribute the development of science and genetics for the benefit of my country and the world. I believe that intensive study and comprehensive research work in my field of interests, particularly developmental biology, will put me on the right track to achieve my goals. From my summer research experience at Caltech, it is obvious that the well-qualified and experienced personnel, excellent laboratory facilities, and exceptional research opportunities at your institute would provide me with an ideal environment for achieving my goals. I have a strong belief in that I will be able to obtain and accomplish an outstanding performance in your laboratories, to focus all my life on the research and developmental biology.
I am aware of the requirements and the responsibility to achieve these aims and I think my previous achievements show that I have the necessary background and perseverance to realize my future plans.
I have already known the success of institutions of the USA from the literature and on going studies. I have also seen this during my internship at Caltech. I have also visited some of the nearest universities such as UCLA and USC in California. I have understood by seeing both professional studies and challenging environment that this universities –especially Caltech- deserved their rankings at the list of top universities around the world. During my summer research, even though I was an undergraduate student, people at Caltech behaved to me with such sincerity and earnestness that I realized how the environment is well-qualified. I also presented results and main points of protocols in SURF presentation day. The other good thing occurred after presentation. They criticized my presentation and made some positive and realistic review that made me very happy.
I will be very grateful if you give me the opportunity to continue my studies in your university.
Sincerely
Fatih Kocabaş |