Passion For Microbiology: Personal Statement
During my time at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse, it was there that I not only discovered my passion for microbiology; but it was where I became aware of my career goal, to be an educator at the university level. I am grateful for the many experiences and the motivation brought on by my peers and mentors, which I came across to realize and to bring to fruition my goals. I strongly believe that the education that I receive in conjuncture with the strong mentorship that the State University of New York Upstate Medical University’s PhD program in biomedical sciences can provide me will definitely help me attain my goals. The fact that such minuscule single celled organisms retain complex pathways and mechanisms, whilst being the tipping
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Furthermore, my vast background does not stop in the classroom, but extends into my research and work experience. I have pursued a number of additional research experiences in the microbiology department to help me get ready for graduate work. I worked alongside Dr. Michael Hoffman, a microbiologist at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse, whose research focuses on the human parainfluenza virus-3. Through this work, I learned to culture cells and prepare them for tranfections and evaluate gene expression using Western Blots. During the summer after my junior year, I was involved in studies which aimed to generate monoclonal antibodies to support the ferret model of influenza infection. This work involved creating recombinant cell lines expressing ferret proteins using a retroviral delivery system. Using this system, I generated a cell line expressing the ferret CD4 protein which is being used as an immunizing agent to produce monoclonal antibodies in mice. I received an Undergraduate Research and Creativity Grant to study probiotic interactions with human-derived colon cells on cholesterol assimilation and metabolism under the guidance of Dr. Peg Maher, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In this work, colon cells were supplemented with Bacillus subitils, to study the adhesion quality by the probiotic bacteria, and to further characterize it. I hoped to study the bacteria’s potential migration into the intestinal cells using a trans-well; however, due to early complication in the experiment, and a series of trouble shooting steps, the results were inconclusive and this research is still
Furthermore, my vast background does not stop in the classroom, but extends into my research and work experience. I have pursued a number of additional research experiences in the microbiology department to help me get ready for graduate work. I worked alongside Dr. Michael Hoffman, a microbiologist at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse, whose research focuses on the human parainfluenza virus-3. Through this work, I learned to culture cells and prepare them for tranfections and evaluate gene expression using Western Blots. During the summer after my junior year, I was involved in studies which aimed to generate monoclonal antibodies to support the ferret model of influenza infection. This work involved creating recombinant cell lines expressing ferret proteins using a retroviral delivery system. Using this system, I generated a cell line expressing the ferret CD4 protein which is being used as an immunizing agent to produce monoclonal antibodies in mice. I received an Undergraduate Research and Creativity Grant to study probiotic interactions with human-derived colon cells on cholesterol assimilation and metabolism under the guidance of Dr. Peg Maher, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In this work, colon cells were supplemented with Bacillus subitils, to study the adhesion quality by the probiotic bacteria, and to further characterize it. I hoped to study the bacteria’s potential migration into the intestinal cells using a trans-well; however, due to early complication in the experiment, and a series of trouble shooting steps, the results were inconclusive and this research is still