I received my topic for my oral exam. First I shall explain what this means. There are several requirements for the PhD:
1) B grade or better in 60 credits of classwork (I have completed this)
2) Complete 12 credits of ‘survey courses’ (I have not done this)
3) Pass 5 of 6 Comprehensive Exams (I passed 6 of 6)
4) Pass an oral exam
5) Write and defend a dissertation (also called Doctoral Thesis)
After completing steps 1-4 I will become what is called a ‘candidate’ while I complete step 5 (which may take up to 4 more years). I should have step 2 completed during this semester, but my goal is to get the oral exam done early this semester.
This exam takes the form of a 45 minute presentation to mostly faculty, during which I will be rigourously quizzed on all aspects of the topic. I expect to take 4-6 weeks to prepare.
My topic is how to determine protein stucture by reverse analysis of protein diffraction patterns. If this is something I find interesting then it may become the focus of my PhD research as well.
And what does it mean exactly? Think of it this way: when you pass x-rays through a protein crystal (such as solidified egg white) the x-ray image will contain a striking display of rings and arcs. Working out the atomic structure of the protein crystal by reverse engineering the pattern is akin to working out what a is blocking a bright light just by looking at it’s shadow.
< A protein diffraction pattern
Unfortunately it’s also not possible to work out complex protein structures via diffraction (or any other means for that matter). This is a holy grail of modern science, and my research will likely explore only a tiny portion of the many methods currently being investigated.