Personal Statement
Fangwei Gu
Objective: Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Science
As a top student in biology, I enjoy both highly academic excellence and rich research
experience. However, what I enjoy most is the moment when I managed to disclose the hidden
mechanism instructing and controlling plant development, which might provide solutions for
food shortage worldwide. I am determined to be a biology scientist, with a specific research
interest in regulatory network study in plant development.
I have formed solid foundation in biological theories and lab skills. I received extensive
theoretical training in Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Principle of Gene
Engineering and Plant Biotechnology. I not only did best at quickly mastering the knowledge,
which is proved by my major GPA of 3. 78, but also understood the interwoven relations
among those subjects. What’s more, I grasped every chance to enhance my lab skills. Two
years of successive research experience render me a variety of skills in diverse molecular
biology assays including ChIP on chip system, RT-PCR, RNA interference, Protein Prokaryotic
Expression, Western Blot, Protein purification, and EMSA.
My understanding of regulatory network in plant development was improved through my
research on transcription factors, which play a great role in regulating the downstream targets.
The project intended to identify the regulatory network of TDR, a bHLH transcription factor. To
screen TDR’s downstream targets, I performed Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) based
on the result of microarray. More importantly, via classification of the downstream genes, I
mastered how to anticipate diverse aspects a transcription factor affects in plant development.
(anticipate the aspects the transcription factor involves in plant development，这句话是否通
顺？)已改
(因为和下面的 PROPOSAL 部分重复，所以这里删除了 CHIP 的优势以及关键，放到下面
PROPOSAL 谈)
However, how does a transcription factor affect plant development in detail? I gained the
insight into this question through my attempt to analyze the property of two downstream genes
of TDR. In one project, I focused on TAAP1’s mutant’s phenotype, expression pattern,
sub-cellular localization and biochemical function. In another research I worked on the
expression of OsC6 protein and its biochemical function. The results will provide information
about how the two downstream genes of TDR affect pollen development, therefore elucidating
the regulatory molecular mechanism of TDR in this process. From those, I learned how a
single gene can affect a certain period of plant development through the regulation of a
transcription factor. (如果划线部分可以讲的更具体和专业，会更好！)
删除载体构建一句，因为只能体现实验技术上的娴熟
黄色部分是我具体的内容。这东西原理做调控网络的都知道，不用详述
The seminars I attended convinced me that ‘transcription factor-functional downstream genes’
is the essential unit in regulatory network not only in my previous work, but also can elucidate
the molecular mechanism of other field in plant development. As various periods of plant
development can be affected by gibberellin acid (GA), the knowledge of GA signal
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Personal Statement
Fangwei Gu
Objective: Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Science
transduction can be applied to elucidate extensive regulatory networks in plant development.
(GA 研究的意义) In GA signal transduction, although the earliest events of GA signaling, from
GA perception to DELLA degradation, are now better understood, the gene regulatory network
directly downstream of DELLA is unclear.(划线部分的两个问题：1. 表达不清楚。你想说什么，
不要出现语法错误；2. 你突然提到 GA 的目的是什么？注意你谈所有的东西都是为了了解调控
网络，因此你需要说明研究 GA 对于这个目标的意义。) （语法绝对没有错，文献原话）There exist
several difficulties, first of which is the screening of DELLA binding transcription factors. Yeast
Two-Hybrid is an effective but time-consuming assay for the screening DELLA binding
transcription factors. Another difficulty to study regulatory network direct downstream of
DELLA is the difficulty to screen direct downstream genes of DELLA binding transcription
factors. Former assays for downstream gene screening were either in vitro or indirect, making
the result inconvincible. As the only in vivo technique to screen direct targets, ChIP would be
an ideal tool to solve this problem. But ChIP system itself is hard to set up. The last difficulty is
the redundancy of functional genes. Other than GA signaling transduction, we may face the
above difficulties in any study in plant development and the solutions are similar. (是否可以考
虑，把这三个问题和你的想法，列为三个条目？比如：to tackle those difficulties, I intend to do the
following in my future research:
To tackle those difficulties, I intend to do the following in my future research:

Simplify the Yeast Two-Hybrid screening by selecting transcription factors of putative
opposite function of DELLA because DELLA proteins are negative regulators. （这句话是
什么意思？为什么你这样认为？）(DELLA 起负作用，因此受 DELLA 影响的东西表现出的
特性必然与 DELLA 表现出的特性相反。这是 DELLA 研究常识，别人未必会想到，但一经
提出，会立刻理解，不必详细解释。)

Prepare antibody of high specificity and increase the in vivo expression level of the
transcription factor for the setting up of ChIP system.

Use multi-mutation and high sensitive detection to solve function redundancy.
I decide to apply to Molecular Plant Sciences Program (MPSP) of the Washington State
University to realize my career goal. MPSP is one of the best life science departments in this
region, recruited many talented scientists and established excellent research basis. I am
extremely interested in the research field of Prof. Camille Steber. She has a strong background
on GA signal transduction, working on GA effect on seed germination and applies the
knowledge to control pre-harvest sprouting in wheat. Several other professors in the MPSP
would also be excellent mentors for signaling research including Hanjo Hellmann, Andrew
McCubbin, John Browse, and Michael Neff. Besides, the resources of MPSP including the
Yeast Two-Hybrid Facility attract me a lot because they can facilitate the research in a great
extent. Consequently, MPSP will be the ideal place to fulfill my career goal.
As a Ph.D. applicant, I understand there is a severe competition as well as great interest in this
field. Therefore I am willing to devote myself in studying signaling in plant development. If
admitted, I believe I will receive excellent training in plant biology and you will be rewarded an
outstanding plant biology scientist.
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