Motivation letter for PhD at University after M.Sc. in Biotechnology

To
Prof. ----
University of -----

From
XYZ
xyz@gmail.com

Dear---,

I extend my heartiest greetings to you and write this letter to express my interest in the PhD position in your research project "Study of neonatal gut microbiota". I hold a B.Sc. (Honors) in Biotechnology from XYZ university with GPA 8.7 and Masters in Biotechnology from ABC university with GPA 9. I conducted my Masters dissertation at ZXC.

Gut microbiome and its role in the various physiological processes in the body has piqued my interest for the longest time. I came across this research topic during the process of writing my literature review during my B.Sc. (Honors) dissertation on the topic"Isolation of Lactobacillus from non-dairy sources". I had heard of "You are what you eat" in the passing, but did not realize the depth of the truth it held till coming across this research topic.

During my time as a masters student in ABC University, I was given the opportunity to present seminars on research papers twice and I grabbed these opportunities to present two papers - "Dysbiosis of the Gut Microbiota and Kynurenine (Kyn) Pathway Activity as Potential Biomarkers in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder"(Lin et al., 2023)" and "Involvement of kynurenine pathway between inflammation and glutamate in the underlying etiopathology of CUMS-induced depression in mouse model (Wu et al., 2022)" in the departmental seminars and did satisfactorily well in them to be appreciated by my professors as well as peers.

I was fortunate to be given the opportunity by my respected mentor, ZXC , to write a book chapter on "Synbiotic and Infant nutrition" which is currently under review. I was able to acquire an internship position in ZXC for my dissertation and during my time there, I acquired general understanding, necessary skills and research aptitude.

My PhD research goal lies in understanding the complex link between the gut microbiome and mental health. In particular, I am excited about unveiling the mechanism through which gut microbiome affects the neurodevelopment and mental health and how this relation can be used to diagnose as well as cure patients and uplift the quality of life of patients around the world.

Considering the proposed research project in understanding the interaction between neonatal gut microbiota and immune system as well its impact on neurodevelopment, I am positive that this research will bring me a step closer to my goals. To study and elucidate the species-to-species interaction, their impact on the overall health and the chronology of changes in neonatal gut microbiota is a particularly exciting idea. I am assured that my dedication, hard work, zeal, skills and passion for the research would make me an ideal PhD candidate.

Thank you for considering my application. I am looking forward to hearing from you and your research team.
XYZ

You need to reference the current work of the professor as well. Create a relationship between his research, and where it stands right now, with your own research interests and where you are currently are at in your own research path. The professor will look for a co-relation between his work and yours. He has to decide if your research will bring any benefits to his team and if your personal knowledge will be considered an asset in terms of research discussions. You are just talking about your academic qualifications at the moment which, although important, is not as important as the research that you should be currently performing on your own or as a part of an independent team. I do not see any information regarding the professor's research that would create a 2 way learning street for both of you.