I began my undergraduate research career at the end of my freshman year, under Dr. Chase at Northwest Nazarene University. Inspired by the work done on the Human Microbiome Project, this endeavor sought to predict bacterial behavior using its DNA sequence. As this project was in its infancy, most of my research was focused into generating a workflow that could be used for this process, and scouring through literature for examples of laboratories that had done the same.
This bioinformatics project came to life in the second summer. Through a collaboration with the University of Idaho, Northwest Nazarene University acquired the next-generation sequencing data of a novel untypeable serotype of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, ONT:H25. …show more content…
I loved the process of trying to innovate the methods that we used in the laboratory, enjoyed debating about the merits of a particular tactic, and defending the veracity of my research. I have no hesitations about making a career out of research, whether through academia or another sector.
The reason that I chose to go into developmental and stem cell biology lies in the potential applications for the field. While I enjoyed my experience in bacterial bioinformatics, and have gained a greater appreciation for computational biology, I want to pursue a field that is more applicable to human health. The ability of the ability of induced pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into any cell of the adult organism, and without the same ethical debate as Embryonic Stem Cells, has incredible potential for overcoming otherwise-incurable human diseases.
These cells may hold the key to meeting the current demand of organ transplants or allowing the paraplegic to walk again. While I am aware that this is an incredibly optimistic goal, and it could be years before advances in iPSC technology contribute to medical procedures, the only way to reach it is through continuing forward. It is for this reason that I am particularly attracted to the research from both the Yoo and Cavalli
This bioinformatics project came to life in the second summer. Through a collaboration with the University of Idaho, Northwest Nazarene University acquired the next-generation sequencing data of a novel untypeable serotype of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, ONT:H25. …show more content…
I loved the process of trying to innovate the methods that we used in the laboratory, enjoyed debating about the merits of a particular tactic, and defending the veracity of my research. I have no hesitations about making a career out of research, whether through academia or another sector.
The reason that I chose to go into developmental and stem cell biology lies in the potential applications for the field. While I enjoyed my experience in bacterial bioinformatics, and have gained a greater appreciation for computational biology, I want to pursue a field that is more applicable to human health. The ability of the ability of induced pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into any cell of the adult organism, and without the same ethical debate as Embryonic Stem Cells, has incredible potential for overcoming otherwise-incurable human diseases.
These cells may hold the key to meeting the current demand of organ transplants or allowing the paraplegic to walk again. While I am aware that this is an incredibly optimistic goal, and it could be years before advances in iPSC technology contribute to medical procedures, the only way to reach it is through continuing forward. It is for this reason that I am particularly attracted to the research from both the Yoo and Cavalli