Elliot Meyerowitz
Professor
Division of Biology 156-29
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Dear Professor Meyerowitz,
CALTECH SURF Research Internship
I am writing to apply for an internship in the research project entitled, “Regulation of a Stem Cell Niche by a Diffusible Paracrine Signal”. I am very interested to work for you in this exciting research project. I am a second year life science major in the National University of Singapore (NUS), whose expected date of graduation is May 2013. I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Life Sciences (with Specialisation in Molecular and Cell Biology).
At NUS, my life science modules have given me experience in laboratory work involving DNA transformation in bacteria. I am also trained in experimental procedures that are of relevance to molecular biology research. These are RNA analysis, performing reverse transcription and real time Polymerase Chain Reactions, constructing recombinant DNA molecules and performing DNA Sequencing.
Besides the above, I have been trained to utilize statistical programs (RExcel and SPSS) and tests (parametric and non-parametric tests) to analyse biological data. In addition, I am familiar with bioinformatics tools (PyMol, ClustalW, SWISSMODEL, etc) and techniques (homology modeling, protein/DNA sequence alignment and comparison, etc) that can assist me in performing computational biological analysis.
Outside the academic area, I have worked for two years as an administrative support assistant in the 2nd People’s Defense Force Signals Unit (2PSU), Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). My work experience has taught me the importance of teamwork and effective communication skills. Hence, I believe that this experience will help me to carry out my responsibilities in the SURF internship effectively.
In addition, I have participated in a short research stint (6 weeks) at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), Singapore. This internship has reinforced my lifelong ambition to undertake molecular biology research as a career choice. Thus, I sincerely hope that you would grant me this opportunity to work for you in this exciting area.
I have enclosed my resume and am looking forward to talking with you soon. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours
Jonathan Ng
Enclosure
Hey Jonathan, here is the one I edited for you:
ReplyDeleteI am writing to inquire about the research project entitled, “Regulation of a stem cell niche by a diffusible paracrine signal”, which was announced in the CALTECH Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) website. I am very interested to undertake this exciting research project with you.
I am a second year life science major in the National University of Singapore (NUS), whose expected date of graduation is May 2013. I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Honors) degree in Life Sciences with specialization in Molecular and Cell Biology. Right here at NUS, I have taken an extensive range of biology modules teaching me various aspects of molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and genetics. During my learning, I have participated in laboratory work involving DNA purification, gel electrophoresis, and transformation in bacteria. I am now taking a module called Experimental Molecular and Cell Biology (expected date of completion: May 2011). This will illuminate and enlighten about aspects of important experimental procedures, such as RNA analysis, reverse transcription and real time Polymerase Chain Reaction, construction of recombinant DNA molecules and DNA Sequencing.
Besides the above modules, I have also taken 2 other modules relevant to life science research. One of them is called Statistics for Life Sciences, which taught me the application of statistical programs (RExcel and SPSS) and tests (parametric and non-parametric tests) to the life sciences. The other is called Introductory Bioinformatics, which has familiarized me with bioinformatics tools (PyMol, ClustalW, SWISSMODEL, etc) and techniques (homology modeling, protein/DNA sequence alignment and comparison, etc).
Since elementary school, my ambition was to be a molecular biologist. But my experiences in the field of academic life science, combined with a short research stint of 6 weeks at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) in Singapore, have all but intensify my passion to pursue a research track in molecular biology upon graduation. I sincerely hope that you would grant me this opportunity of protégé for this research.
I have, hereby, enclosed my resume and am looking forward to talking with you soon. Thank you for your kind consideration.
Sincerely Yours, (3 lines of space between this and your name!!!)
Jonathan Ng
Remeber to be delicate, delicate, delicate!!! That is very important. I'll show you examples of delicate where I had edited for you:
In your second last paragraph and 2nd sentence, I used 'but' to start the sentence rather than 'my' which you used previously. 'But' doesnt really explicitly link the first and 2nd sentence, but so does 'my'. But 'but' has an element of subtlety, it makes your reader into another dimension and therefore CREATES A MYSTERY ABOUT YOU, ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO MYSTERY!!!! It creates the ILLUSION of MYSTERY!!!!!!! So, good Jonathan, you want your professor to feel something about you, that you have some enigma (mystery) about you; because if there is mystery, there is ATTRACTION!!!!!
It is the same for how a girl gets attracted to a guy or vice versa, or love at first sight! BEcause there is some mystery, some X-factor surrounding the guy!!!
Another example of subtely or delicate is in the last sentence of your 2nd last paragraph. I edited it for you so that it includes the word PROTEGE!!! Try to read it over and over again, and you will know why it is DELICATE AND SUBTLE, AND THEREFORE 'MYSTERIOUS', BEAUTIFUL, PRETTY, ATTRACTING, AND JUST FANTASTIC!!
Cheers
Apologies, in the above post's 2nd paragraph and in one of the sentences it should read:
ReplyDelete"This will illuminate and enlighten me about aspects of important experimental procedures...."
Cheers
Thanks for your comments Mark! =)
ReplyDelete