Graduate / graduate degree in plant genetic, Kansas State University [2]

Merry Christmas!

I am from Dept. of Agronomy, Kansas State University. And after I worked in the USDA Small Grain Genotyping Laboratory in Kansas for more than two years, I decide to pursue a graduate degree in plant genetic in an university of the USA. That is why I am writing this letter. I believe it is an important and wise resolution for me, though I have received one in botany from Nanjing University, China.

In the last two years, my work has mainly focused on genome-wide association researches in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from model simulation to kinds of important complex traits dissection such as aluminum tolerance, scab, and stem rust resistance. As most of the phenotypic, genotypic data and statistical analysis have been well done, I am now spending a lot of time on manuscript organization and the deeply fine mapping toward map-based cloning of an aluminum tolerance gene. For this trait, I have used two natural mapping populations from Asia and U.S. and three F2 populations to map the gene within a 2.0 cM genetic distance. Besides this, some other related works nearly went to be published. One manuscript about population structure and genome-wide LD analysis on US winter wheat is in press on Plant Genome.

Since the year of 1998, just after I was graduated from Yangzhou University in the Dept. of Agronomy, I have been working on plant physiology, gene expression, gene cloning, QTL mapping and association mapping for over ten years. More than ten papers have been published on these kinds of journals. And additionally, One new gene, SbPIP1 (GenBank: DQ451602), was cloned by mRNA subtractive hybridization during my last PhD program and registered as a National Patent in China in 2006.

By recognizing my high research interests in plant quantitative genetics as well as career challenges, I am going to seek a graduate degree from an university of the USA. One reason is the good training system for student in American makes its student more competitive than any from other countries. As we know, University of Wisconsin-Madison is a prestigious institute in American as well as in the world, and your researches in evolution and genetic basis of maize during its domestication have impressed me most and I really want to express my great interests in your research focus. The distinct difference between wheat and maize using as materials for genetic study is also an important consideration for me. Comparing to wheat, maize owns full genome sequence information available, relatively simple genome organization, and out-cross species, which make it more suitable for genetic studies. Although I haven't worked on maize study previously, I believe my comprehensive background in plant genetics fits well to your research interests. Therefore, I would like to know if it's possible for me to get a offer for PhD program in your lab? I think it is a great moment for shaping my future career. Here I enclosed my resume for your review. If possible, I will send the GRE & Toelf score and all the other necessary materials to the Graduate school for a formal application. I look forward to hearing from you!

Appreciate for your consideration!

Sincerely,

Dadong Zhang

Graduate / Letter to a prof. for phd admission - wheat genomic conference [4]

I am still remembered your impressed lecture you gave us on wheat genomic conference at Indianapolis last year.

After I am working in the USDA genotyping Lab for nearly three years at Manhattan, KS, I am planning to pursue one more PhD in plant genetic at U.S.A. and that is why I am writing this letter. I believe it is an important and wise resolution for me, though I have received one in botany from Nanjing University, China. Therefore, later of this year, I have taken the GRE and TOELf exams by spending weekends of three months in preparation.

In the last three years, my work have mainly focused on genome-wide association researches from linkage disequilibrium(LD), model simulation, aluminum tolerance, and scab and stem rust resistance. Because most of phenotypic, genotypic data and statistical analysis have been done, all the left will go to manuscript organization. One manuscript about population structure and genome-wide LD analysis on U.S.A. winter wheat has been submitted to Plant Genome recently. One more manuscript about genome-wide stem rust resistance in U.S.A. elite wheat breeding lines goes to nearly final edition and is going to be submitted early of next year. Now I am working on the aluminum tolerance draft which have included three-year works of mine. In this study, two association mapping populations, three biparental populations, one full gene sequence and two-year field and greenhouse phenotypic data were joint in details to illustrate the genome-wide mechanic accounting for aluminum tolerance. Same process was also conducted on scab resistance. One more season of greenhouse data for scab type-II resistance will be available before this Christmas.

As the integrated project is going to finish, it's time for me to leave for another place. Dr. **, one of the important advocates for my initiative of my project, has advise me sometime of last year to pursue a PhD at U.S.A. if possible and he has given me the one copy of the book written by your cooperation. In the book, you have given highly valuable review and prospective progress of AM in the upcoming future.

Since the year of 1998, just after I was graduated from Dept. of Agronomy, Yangzhou University, China, I have been working on plant physiology, gene expression, gene cloning, QTL mapping and association mapping for more than ten years. Except the papers on writing, more than ten papers have been published on kinds of journals. One new gene, SbPIP (GenBank: DQ451602), was cloned by mRNA subtractive hybridization during my last PhD program and registered as National Patent in China in 2006.

When I was working in Jiangsu Academic of Agricultural Sciences before 2006 in China, I have known your name as well as your prestigious works in wheat science community, and so I realize it is not easy for me to compete a PhD admission in your department, but I still want to express my high interests and resolution in plant population genetics where you researches have been leading the advancement for a ten years. And so, here I would like to consulting you the possibility of my application before submitting all the necessary files officially. I know your opinion is the first information I must to cognize. Also before this, I haven't told my intention to Dr. ** and Dr.***. But if necessary, I will ask them to give a letter as my references for application.

Thanks for your consideration!

Sincerely,