Biochemistry Personal Statement

I want to learn more about the advancements in Medical Chemistry as well as the effects that certain chemical compounds have on biological matter. Studying the Cell Cycle in Biology has left me wanting to study Biochemistry at university. The function of cells replicating and containing nuclei that hold the DNA is vital in the everyday life of living organisms. They provide a fundamental stage for life to occur and evolve. I started to read the book 'The Selfish Gene' by Richard Dawkins in which he describes the replication of genes as the most contributing factor towards the evolution of species rather than just the organisms themselves. This links well to the Biochemistry course when looking at genetics and the organisation of DNA which I hope to learn more about at a higher level.

I am interested in Organic Chemistry after learning about the enantiomer Thalidomide. This inspired me to find out exactly why its optical isomer was so dangerous and damaging to the human body. By using my knowledge of A-Level Chemistry and reading some online articles such as "How optical isomers uncovered the horrors of Thalidomide" by The Science Magazine of Imperial College, I was able to further enhance my understanding of the topic and discover that the two molecules were remarkably similar in structure, just mirrored. During my first year of college, I decided to challenge my Chemistry knowledge even further by taking part in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge in which I was able to receive a Copper Award. This increased my interest in the topic of Biochemistry and its processes and led me to complete an online Open University course in which I was able to familiarise myself with the history behind how exactly pharmaceutical drugs were formed.

I decided to base my EPQ on the synthesis of drugs by asking the question: "How can Click Chemistry be used to improve drug synthesis?" This made me consider the connection between Chemistry and Biology in the role behind drug development. When researching, I found one source that stood out, a book named "Current Topics in Chirality" by Ayushi Sethiya et al. in which they described Click Chemistry as being a toolbox for the synthesis of organic molecules. This allowed me to view Click Chemistry from a unique perspective.

With my research being complete, I can improve and learn new skills such as essay writing when writing up my dissertation, research, and critical thinking skills from evaluating sources, in addition to a lot of independent, wider reading. Gaining these skills will help me transition from college to university, where it is more about managing my own time. Basing my EPQ on a part of Biochemistry allowed me to get an insight about what will be on the course as well as prepare me with the necessary skills for evaluating sources effectively.

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning new technical skills by carrying out practicals in both Chemistry and Biology. I found that having a mixture of hands-on and pure content has allowed me to develop application skills and by completing a wide range of these practicals, it has helped me visualise the way certain reactions work, such as in titrations, which I struggled to visualise by just reading.

I find time between studying for my hobbies, such as playing electric guitar. Whilst playing electric guitar can be quite challenging at first, I was determined to learn the basics and after playing for a few months now, it is a wonderful way to relax between study breaks. Alongside applying for my course, when at university, I hope to be involved within the student community by joining people who share similar interests and hobbies as me. I hope to further enhance my knowledge and understanding by studying Biochemistry at university in addition to learning new and advanced practical skills in lab work that we do not get to experience at A-Level.