The opportunity to develop my knowledge beyond A Level Biology is what sparked my interest in Biomedical Science. Excited by the increase in complexity from GCSE to A level, I have endeavored to expand my skillset further by attending masterclasses and organising work experience.
My interest in human genetics was kindled through reading Matt Ridley's 'Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters'. The chapter on 'Disease' introduced me to the idea of how blood groups can affect your immunity. For example, having blood type AB confers on the individual resistance to cholera. Furthermore, having studied frameshift mutation in lessons enabled me to develop my understanding of how a single base deletion changes your blood group from A to O.
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Herceptin, a monoclonal antibody, inhibits the growth of breast cancer by attaching itself onto the overexpressed HER2 receptor. As each patient has a different molecular profile, the importance of personalised medicine is becoming ever more relevant.
After arranging work experience at the VHS research laboratory in India, I was able to observe the gram staining method used to differentiate between gram negative and positive bacteria. This opportunity increased my interest in lab work as I observed a technique outside the scope of my A level biology curriculum. In addition, I also understood the importance of the length of time it takes for a patient's blood sample to coagulate- a process which provides vital information needed for surgery. This highlighted the extent to which biomedical science is an integral part of diagnosing a