Developing a Research Question

In the post below, I will be discussing three research questions I am interested in further investigating, about ongoing debates in the engineering field. In addition, I will explain why I am interested in each one.

Kyle Flood. "Waaah!" February 20, 2007 via Wikipedia. Public Domain Dedication. 

Optimizing genomes has become a popular topic in the field of engineering. Scientists and engineers are working to create the "best" set of gene sequences for plants, animals and even humans. Personally, the idea of stem cell engineering is very interesting. Stem cells can regenerate tissue, recreate organs and possibly even regrow limbs. However, some people tampering with the human genome is "unnatural." Because of this, I have developed a few questions to research the stem cell controversy even further.

1. What is chimera? How does it tells us about stem cell behavior and how will it benefit humans?

This was interesting to me because chimera is an organism made out of more than one biological being. It seems very strange to create a new animal from other animal's genomes. However, this allows scientists to test the behavior of stem cells and predict how they will affect humans. I saw a movie called "Splice" once and it was a similar idea so it would be interesting to learn how it works.

2. What are the complications and advantages of "designer babies?"

Designing a baby before its actually a baby is very interesting to me. I want to be a mom one day but I would want my children to be a surprise. In addition, I would not want to know what illness or diseases my baby could potentially have because then I would worry his entire life. This also leads me to question who gets to design their baby, how much it costs and whether or not it is actually successful.

3. What are scientific hurdles to still overcome involving stem cells?

This is interesting to me because I do not know if stem cell regeneration even works or the effectiveness of the technique. In addition, how will new advancements change the course of stem cell application? Will new knowledge advance or eliminate using stem cells for therapy. In addition, I would like to know what limits stem cell research in order to gt a better understanding of its usefulness.