PURPOSE STATEMENT“They can conquer those who believe they can” – these lines from Ralph Waldo Emerson have kept alive my dream of charting a career of research and innovation for myself. Progress has been made in the field of biotechnology and it has emerged as an attractive and versatile scientific field. The application of newer technologies has created new challenges and opportunities in this area, but it is a largely untapped resource and has great potential for continued research. These new challenges excite me and I am eager to try my hand at solving them with my skills through the MS in Biotechnology and pursue a life of academic pursuits as well as passing on the knowledge gained through teaching. It is a pleasure to be associated with this field which strives to serve humanity and appreciate the wonderful gift of life. It was during my formative years in school that I developed an immense interest in biology, thus laying the foundation for my pursuit of a degree in Biotechnology. Even though I enjoyed studying all subjects except the areas that interested me...