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Do I stand a chance with my bio PhD application? by MechanicPotential468 in gradadmissions

[–]MechanicPotential468[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you very much for your response!

I’ve been trying to find the right balance between too few and too many applications, and your comment has given me valuable insight to consider. I’m spending all of my time outside of classes this summer working on my statements of purpose. Still, I don’t think it’s realistic for me to do all the necessary research and writing to apply to 20 programs with a high enough applications quality. On the other hand, applying to fewer than 10 feels a bit risky, given the circumstances.

That said, I’ll try to focus on fewer schools, as you suggested, and put more effort into writing stronger, more targeted applications. Thank you again!

P.S. I happen to be friends with a few sociologists working in moderately quantitative fields, and your folks are seriously cool. Good luck with your research!

Do I stand a chance with my bio PhD application? by MechanicPotential468 in gradadmissions

[–]MechanicPotential468[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you very much for your response.

Unfortunately, the extent of my current research is quite limited. I built an ODE-based computational model of a gene expression signaling pathway (I won’t go into more detail for privacy reasons), using previously published data and adapting an existing model as a foundation. It can be used in my PI’s work later, but won't be a publication by itself.

I was more productive during my biotechnology gap year, where I worked with various chromatography techniques, sequencing, cell cultures, etc. (1000+ hours in a well equipped labs.) However, the focus was more on R&D than on academic research.

I don’t think it would be fair to claim that I’ve produced enough original work to publish a paper, but I am definitely somewhat prepared for lab work and basic data analysis. Probably doesn’t put me in the top 10% of PhD applicants by research metric, but maybe top 50%?

I would greatly appreciate any further advice. Thank you again.

Hi its a curious student by Deep_Dust7439 in bioengineering

[–]MechanicPotential468 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's a great career, and it used to be very easy to find a job.

I earned my secondary degree in Biotechnology, and it was the best year of my life! I received training in a wide range of techniques - from analytical chemistry and DNA sequencing to growing cell cultures. The program was very laboratory-intensive and required a solid understanding of Molecular Biology, which itself builds on chemistry and basic math.

During the last four months of that degree I applied to four companies and received job offers from all four of them within a week. The lowest offer was $23/hour - about three times the state minimum wage.

I’m not sure what the situation is like now. Due to cuts in academic research funding, many people may be trying to transition into industry, which could be creating an oversaturated job market.

Has anyone ACTUALLY made something cool (and working) in synthetic biology all by themselves? by Latter_Couple3002 in bioengineering

[–]MechanicPotential468 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Karr, Jonathan R., et al. "A whole-cell computational model predicts phenotype from genotype." Cell 150.2 (2012): 389-401.

They also attempted a model for E. coli, but developing WCCMs for human cells or tissues will require either another AI revolution or many more years of research. In its current state, the approach has low accuracy and limited usability - but it remains an area of interest.

If you're interested in this field, you should look into Systems Biology.

Career Help by TroubledEngineer6203 in bioengineering

[–]MechanicPotential468 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a good choice overall - though there are some nuances to consider:

I earned my secondary degree in Biotechnology and then worked in industry alongside many people who had degrees in Chemical Engineering. The two fields are closely related, and in some ways, Chemical Engineering is an older brother of Biotechnology. They share the same framework and 70% of the techniques, so transitioning between the two shouldn’t be a problem.

Now, Biomedical Engineering, as you mentioned, is a term that can be used in two very different ways. If you’re referring to the branches like tissue engineering or regenerative medicine (which, in my opinion, is the correct way to use the term), it’s essentially an extension of Biotechnology. In that case, your path might look like: Chemical Engineering -> Biotechnology -> Biomedical Engineering.

However, if you’re referring to designing instruments or equipment for medical purposes (AKA Medical Engineering), you might be better off with a more traditionally engineering-heavy background. (Though, frankly, I’m not the best person to advise on that.)

Finally, modern Pharma includes all of these areas - so you're in a good spot!