Graduate / I want to discover a solution which improves human health; SOP - PhD(Chemical Eng) [5]

Hi everybody,
I am going to apply for chemical engineering PhD program. I am interested in biotech, bioprocess and pharmaceutical fields. I really appreciate if you could give me feedback and comments to improve my statement of purpose. Thank you in advance for your kind help.

My ultimate goal in my life is to discover a solution which is beneficial for society and improving human health. I intend to continue my career in performing research in the field of biotechnology and bioprocess. The PhD program is the last step of training for me to learn how to think independently, combine the knowledge of science and engineering together and find solutions.

My grandfather was working in a refinery plant and promised me to show me the huge distillation column one day. Unfortunately, he passed away and visiting the plant and distillation column remained mysterious for me. This curious attitude drove me to choose chemical engineering for my bachelor program. I entered to <NAME OF SCHOOL> in 2000. I tried to get a comprehensive overview as an undergraduate student. I applied for different internships in summers to work in as many as possible plants and companies. My last internship was in <NAME OF COMPANY> which I learnt simulation by using HYSYS software.

One of my biggest concerns during working in different chemical plants was the environmental and pollution issues. I realized the significant role of chemical industries in jeopardizing our world. Hence, after finishing my bachelor program I decided to start my career in the field of waste water treatment. I joined to <NAME OF COMPANY> in 2005. I was doing research on membrane fouling problems and improving the washing procedures of reverse osmosis membranes. Our team installed reverse osmosis membrane modules at different companies.

After getting enough work experience I joined to <NAME OF COMPANY> in 2006. The area of company's activity was in membrane technology. I was working on a membrane bioreactor system. I designed and assembled an MBR system for waste water treatment. I also was responsible to create a team of high talented entry level researcher to collect all the information about application of membrane technology in petrochemical industries and publish a thorough review in that area. I went through to interviews and screening the applicants who were the best fit for the project. Supervising this project taught me a lot. It improved my ability of communication and management. I learned how to manage people and do team works. My role assigning different tasks to other team members, following up their progress, gathering the information and reports from different team members, combining them together and writing technical report. Moreover, I tried all the time to teach and improve the team members.

I decided to adopt higher education and continue my study. I came to <NAME OF COUNTRY> and joined Dr. <NAME OF ADVISOR> group. His research group mostly focus on bioprocess engineering. I have worked on two research project. I have also mentored three undergraduate students in our lab to teach them how to do research independently and improve their teamwork skills. My first project is a biodiesel production project. The ultimate goal of the research project is achieving a stable microalgae culture under different operational conditions. The specific research objective is finding the optimized process and operational conditions. Finally, obtaining higher lipid content as much as possible is favorable.

In this project we are culturing specific microalgae for biodiesel production. This is a continuous system ... <Description of Project >. I am familiar with doing batch experiments and fermentation runs. The focus of my research is on assessing the operational conditions such as pH, temperature, medium composition, dissolved oxygen concentration and light intensity.

I am also working on the application of rhamnolipid for <AREA> and pharmaceutical industries. Rhamnolipid is a byproduct of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacteria. I am familiar with running fermentation processes. The fermentor broth is collected and rhamnolipid is purified with different techniques. There different types of rhamnolipid molecules present in the final product. I also developed a column chromatography method for separating different types of rhamnolipid molecule. Final products characterized with different techniques such as HPLC and LC/MS. I have also evaluated the effect of rhamnolipid molecules on fibroblast skin cells and done cytotoxicity tests.

I am sure my enthusiasm, curiosity, team player and research skills will help me to succeed. I deeply believe that the excellence of your program, along with my capabilities and motivation, will help me to attain my destination. To find a university to match my pursuits, I provided information regarding Chemical Engineering departments by searching on web pages. Then, I viewed the research groups and inspected faculty biographies and their recent projects and working papers. At the end, I, as a highly careful person, was assured that not only XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and Chemical Engineering department is one of the most reputable ones, but, there were also services, divisions, evidence of previous successes, and distinguished professors, particularly in the realm related to my interests.

I believe that my background and qualifications will be my outfits to meet the university's high expectations. To realize this, I must do my best in any subject or project that I will undertake. I am aware of the challenging aspects of my decision and I am eager to encounter with. I hope my desire, hard work and of my academic backgrounds qualify me to pursue my education in XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX