I have always been fascinated by the enigma of life. My parents, being doctors, fosteredm y interest in science.

I naturally took up Biotechnology as my undergraduatespecialization, as I believed it would bring me closer to finding answers to t h e challenging questions of biology, for instance, how levels of complex molecules interactto enable autonomous functioning of living beings.I h a v e b e e n a t o p p e r in school as well as in college. In school, I was taught to b e inquisitive, and to probe beyond the obvious solutions, to gain a deeper understanding of c o n c e p t s . B i o l o g y w a s m y f a v o r i t e s u b j e c t a s I w a s f o r t u n a t e t o h a v e t e a c h e r s w h o motivated me by drawing parallels between worlds of exciting discoveries and their applications to everyday life. I realized that a comprehensive understanding of science is possible only when scientific theories are supported by practical experiments.During my <undergraduate studies/high school>, I underwent a short-term training inmicrobiology and genetics labs at <hospital name>, a world-renowned hospital. I learnttechniques and the basis of diagnostic tests from both physicians and technicians. <In my<second or third year>, I acquired industrial experience at the Biotechnology division of Orchid Pharmaceuticals. My responsibilities included the cloning of an antibiotic gene, protein expression and pilot scale production in a fermenter. It taught me the importanceof accuracy and timeliness in biotechnology research.In my <3?4?> year, I secured a prestigious fellowship as an Indian Academy of Sciences(IAS) Summer Fellow at the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD).Only 100 students out of over 10000 applicants are chosen for this fellowship. At CDFD,I started on my research career under Dr.Edited, the Head of the Molecular Genetics Lab.My projects were in clinical microbiology, industrial molecular biology, and molecular genetics. My persistence and patience helped me discover a gene involved in the sexdetermination pathway in silkworm. I gained a lot of domain knowledge from scientifica n a l y s i s a n d d i s c u s s i o n s w i t h m y a d v i s o r a n d p e e r s . T h e w e e k l y s e m i n a r s a t C D F D introduced the variety of research work going on in different labs. I found the wholeexperience truly enriching and I resolved to pursue a career in biotechnology research. I enjoy being a team-worker as well as a leader. I developed m y t e a m - s k i l l s b y undertaking several group projects during my undergraduate course work. I learnt the artof leadership when I was the principal organizer for the technical symposia <specifyname, year> at my college.As part of my final year project, I have got the opportunity to work with Dr.Edited at theTata Institute of Fundamental Research, on Mass spectroscopy and Nucleic MagneticResonance. I am confident that this experience will help me recognize the vital role of biochemistry and biophysics, in biological research.The papers I have presented both within my college and at Anna University reveal my passion for research. My current goal is to pursue a doctorate in <univ specific field> at<univ name>. I believe this would give me the opportunity to be on the cutting-edge of research, with experts in the field. I am impressed by the work going on in <area/labname> and I would love to be a part of the team and make productive contributions. Ienvision myself working as a research scientist in the next ten years. I believe that <univname> will provide me the ideal environment to help me realize my dream.