Application for Research Assistant Trials Role
Dear Alicia and Chris,
My name is Sahra Ali, and I recently completed a BSc in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Bristol.
I applied for this role because I am interested in insects and in the relationships between insects, plants and microbes. BugBiome’s method of linking insect behaviour to microbial function stood out to me. A microbe may change how an insect feeds or interacts with a plant in ways that would be missed by a standard screen. I made the fictional trial notebook to explore how those observations could affect which strain goes forward.
During my degree, I received 79% for a microbiology report on the lac operon. I examined how E. coli regulates the genes needed to metabolise lactose in response to the sugars available and used the experimental results to explain induction and catabolite repression. My practical work also included bacteriophage plaque assays, antibiotic-resistance testing, immuno-dot blotting, bacterial culture, aseptic technique, serial dilution, plating and microscopy.
For my final-year project, I analysed gene-expression data from 112 dengue patients in R. I first reproduced the published interferon signal and then tested whether it differed with age and disease severity. The proposed relationship was not supported. I repeated the analysis using established gene sets and examined how the age-matched study design affected the question that could be tested.
The Research Assistant role appeals to me because it involves running experiments from setup through to the final observations. I would enjoy caring for the plants and insects, applying treatments consistently, keeping accurate records and investigating results that do not look as expected.
I have full right to work in the UK and would relocate to Norwich. I do not have a driving licence or access to a car. I can start on 1 October and attend a trial day in late September.
Kind regards,
Sahra Ali