Urgent: Need help with writing motivation letter

Dear all,

I am writing a motivation letter (written below) for a Ph.D. position. Please, can you help me in modifying the letter soon since the deadline is on May 15th, 2017? Thank you in advance!

Dear Prof. xxx

Department of the Molecular Biology University of Geneva, Switzerland is one of the oldest and best Molecular Biology departments in the world. You have deliberately set out to create an interdisciplinary doctoral school of biomedical research with a large number of structured doctoral programs! It is my understanding that Professor Thanos Halazonetis’s Lab is one of such places where expert exchanges their experience and work in harmony. The timeliness of the research areas in the department and in Prof. Halazonetis’s Lab are captivating. These and many other reasons make your group a liberal and convenient place to study and work.

My Medical Biotechnology and Microbiology experience gives me a unique ability to apply Molecular Biology techniques in all its forms, to Biomedical research. The MSc thesis research I did at Erasmus Medical Center, the Netherlands for one year, has focused on elucidating the effect of cellular stress on the viability of ex-vivo prostate cancer tissue slices culture. When optimization is completed, this research and the project from which it stems out can be adapted to provide improved culturing conditions for drug discovery which can mimic the in vivo condition. Even though the work was a masterpiece, it is not published yet, due to grand total EU consortium (PREDECT) agreement, which has to wait.

I have experience with prostate cancer tissue slicing, Immunohistochemistry, DNA and RNA extraction, Western blotting, tissue slice culture, cell culture, qPCR and other basic techniques. I have taken training on, MGC Genome Maintenance and Cancer; Biomedical Research Techniques XII; Workshop on NCBI and other open sources software; The Translational Imaging Workshop by AMIE ‘from mouse to man’ and The broad spectrum of NGS Applications in Molecular Medicine.

Especially, my research work during graduate studies had given me an opportunity to work beside well-known Oncologists, Urologists, and Virologists in the Netherlands. The teamwork spirit in the lab, the weekly meetings and journal clubs were great sources of experience for me.

Cancer disease is increasing at an alarming rate both in developed and developing countries. Various strategic approaches could be used to investigate cancer covering basic to advanced researches. Hence, through the use of different techniques of the current technologies, it is possible to address this issue in the near future. In this regard, I Believe your lab is on the right track and recent publication of professor Thanos Halazonetis are witnesses of that.

I am interested in cancer research in order to bring change and contribute my part using my experience and also by learning from others. Besides, as my background is a witness of what I am passionate about. Hence, I would like to be part of your lab where many great breakthrough investigations in the field of molecular biology are ongoing by many scientists with curiosity and dedication. As Cancer Biology is my major area of interest, I would work with devotion and tirelessly to contribute my part in the project individually and as part of the research group.

On the other hand, while doing Ph.D. research, individual effort and teamwork spirit are very important. Above all, originality of a work under the supervision of well experienced academic experts will result in best research. Mainly, theoretical background, motivation, and dedication of the student are unquestionable. In helping and supporting such students, University of Geneva is a leading university in Switzerland. Moreover, it is one of best universities in the country providing a wide range of scholarship for various excellent students from all over the world. Hence, getting a chance to be part of such a versatile liberal working environment is a great opportunity for someone like me who want to be a competitive scientist in the today's world of science.

I would appreciate an opportunity to talk with you to see where my skill set would be of the greatest benefit to the lab and myself.

Best regards,

xxx