The intricacy of the molecular mechanisms required in vital life processes, such as metabolism and DNA replication, really appeal to my inquisitive nature. It intrigues me how a vast amount of these natural processes occur in a single organism, and how mistakes are not made more often. Learning more about the biological systems created by natural selection would be a great way to build upon my interest in bioscience.

Having done work experience at a pharmacy, my curiosity was sparked towards pharmaceutical drugs and their interactions with the human body. I had a chance to improve upon skills such as time management and organisation, as well as building on my confidence by interacting with customers. I was encouraged to be independent, but to ask for help when I needed it. After really enjoying my time there I was offered a permanent job and now work at Sharmans every weekend. This heightened my appreciation for what is required in the workplace, and gave me the perseverance needed for pursuing a bioscience-related course. This in turn fuelled my interest for genetics since many drugs are used to alleviate genetic disorders.

I decided to further my knowledge about genetics by reading 'Genome' by Matt Ridley. One chapter that caught my attention was about the genes involved in the development of fruit flies. Generally genes are distributed randomly on chromosomes, with no set arrangement. However, developmental genes are ordered in the specific sequence of the body of the fruit fly, to ensure that the correct parts form in the correct places. This in itself is fascinating because it builds upon our understanding of human development and promises a discovery of those same genes within the human genome in the near future. For me, some other intriguing genes include those that code for bioluminescent proteins.

Bioluminescent organisms caught my eye because of the unusual nature of their biochemistry, which inspired me to learn about the reactions behind them. I researched this and found my answer, which was related to the reaction of oxygen with luciferin in the presence of the luciferase enzyme. This reaction releases photons of light that cause bioluminescence in certain organisms, creating the captivating visual phenomena that we love to see. The urge to act on my curiosity was influenced by my experience of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which taught me how to keep moving forward in the things I do. Our group often had to compromise when faced with unexpected obstacles, but we always came up with effective solutions. As a result I have more patience and determination to pursue the topics that I enjoy, as I know that only hard work can bring the best results.

From DofE I also learnt how to work effectively as part of a team, which I frequently apply during lab-based activities. My role as a year leader, where I mentor a year 8 form group, and my running of Rubik's club have taught me how to plan sessions effectively so that the students benefit from them. I learnt to manage my workload more effectively due to the additional Russian homework that I was set, having attended Russian school until I was sixteen. This also helped me form more personal connections with others, as well as expanding my social circle. I tend to think of science as a jigsaw puzzle, complex but with a logical structure that can be determined through rationale and common sense. At the moment I do not have enough pieces of this jigsaw to satisfy my curiosity, but I know that a bioscience-related course will provide me with these pieces, and perhaps with them I will be able to create my own unique picture of the world.