My fascination with science developed at a young age owing to the weekly visit to the New York Hall of Science. I started participating in the Science Olympiad club and DNA club in middle school. One day, the teacher asked us, ‘Should the ability to make designer babies be accessible to the public?’ This question was different from the other topics we usually debated. I got on my phone and researched possibilities for both sides. To learn more about the pros and cons, we researched designer babies and CRISPR, a technology used for gene editing. The more I studied this issue, the more I became interested in biotechnologies and the possibilities of their use for people. It was the exact moment that biotech got to me because of the opportunities it gives to people.
When my AP Biology teacher told us we could research any scientific innovation as our end-of-the-year project, I chose genetically modified organisms. I researched everything from the Cavendish banana, modified to be resistant to the Panama disease, to AquAdvantage salmon and talked with my teacher about whether these genetically modified foods were healthy for consumption. People are accustomed to perceiving “genetically modified organisms” as unnatural and unhealthy. However, modern biotechnologies make it possible to make food with GMOs safe for human consumption and benefit the planet by saving resources. Eben Bayer (2022), the co-founder and CEO of Ecovative, says that “a diverse range of new products and applications, based in biology, mark a shift of global consumer culture into better alignment with the planet” (para. 12). This could become a real breakthrough, which I do not want to watch from the sidelines, but want to be involved in.
At the same time, I am interested in other spheres of biotechnology since it has endless possibilities, including developing new technologies, genetic engineering, and treating various diseases. Last year, I applied and was selected for the Biogen MIT Biotech in Action program. I completed online lab research with employees of both Biogen and MIT to teach us all about biotechnology and invention with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease. Through this experience, I learned about the potential applications of biotechnology in medicine. Clinical trials show great potential and prospects for developing drugs for mental disorders. It motivates me even more as my grandmother has suffered from schizophrenia for 30 years. One of my biggest dreams is to engage in scientific developments that would help my grandmother and other people effectively deal with mental disorders.
I believe there are still many new and exciting discoveries that can bring enormous benefits to people and the environment. I want to be a part of these discoveries and be involved in a biotech’s next big bang moment. This major is a challenge of constantly confronting new technologies and ideas. I am preparing to spend a great deal of time in the lab performing research and doing experiments. However, at the same time, I do not want my scientific study to be only theoretical but to have practical applications to benefit humans.
Reference
Bayer, E. (2022). Get ready for an explosion of productivity in biotechnology.Forbes. Web.