Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I'm trying to create an investigative question for the following project https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... er#summary on Direct Reprogramming. I have identified my independent variable as the different target cell types, and my dependent variable as the transcription factors. Basically, in this project, I am trying to find the best combination of transcription factors for a variety of tissue types to turn a starting cell into a target cell type. So far, my investigative question is: How does the ideal combination of transcription factors used for direct reprogramming vary for different target cell types? Is there any way I can improve this investigative question? Is there anything missing in my investigative question? Thank you so much for all your help!

While this is an intriguing question and useful from a technical standpoint, it does not involve an experiment because you cannot go to the lab and test the factors that you identified to see if they will turn one cell type into another. This project is really an exercise in learning how to use the online databases and software to choose factors that might be able to reprogram one cell into another. You can use the scientific literature to evaluate the likelihood that your selection of factors would work but there's no experiment you can do to test your factors unless you have access to an advanced university research lab.

This is an excellent project for you to learn exactly how a scientist prepares for a series of experiments on cellular reprogramming. Learning how to use the NCBI website and doing literature searches and analyses are valuable lessons if you plan to go into research. Check with your teacher and find out if you need to do a project with an actual hypothesis, experiments to test it, numerical data measurements, graphing and statistical analysis.

Good luck!

Sybee