Three Chemistry Research Proposals: Cancer, Ethanol, LSD

Introduction to the Three Research Topics

The following three research proposals each address a distinct topic within the broad field of chemistry: pharmaceutical-based cancer treatment, corn ethanol as an alternative fuel source, and the history and chemical properties of LSD. Together they illustrate how chemistry intersects with medicine, environmental policy, and cultural history.

Topic 1: Pharmaceutical-Based Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatment is extremely costly, frequently physically taxing, and never guaranteed to work. However, as drug companies strive to improve outcomes with regard to the latter two characteristics, conditions with respect to cost continue to worsen. The focus of this research proposal is on using newly refined approaches to fighting cancer cells without attacking their healthy host cells, with particular emphasis on the genetic characteristics of breast cancer treatment. The central hypothesis is that there is great opportunity for the improvement of treatment outcomes — and significant financial growth potential — for the drug company that successfully develops a breast-cancer-cell-specific drug therapy.

As the research endeavor would demonstrate, there is today an ongoing discussion about addressing cancer through more refined and targeted approaches, which has ultimately led to the decision to explore genomic opportunities for treating breast cancer. According to Singer (2011), "the growing understanding of cancer genetics has enabled researchers to develop an increasing number of drugs designed to zero in on cancer cells. Varma says Blueprint will use genomics and novel chemistry to develop such drugs in a more systematic way, targeting a broader range of molecular mistakes" (Singer, p. 1).

There is an increasingly urgent imperative to develop cancer treatment drugs that either supplant or at least supplement the use of more aggressive radiation treatment strategies. According to The Economist (2011), the FDA has accelerated the pace at which cancer drug patents expire in order to make these costly treatment processes both more accessible and more affordable. As a result, many drug companies have turned their attention to the development of more targeted and specific treatments for various types of cancer. This makes the topic ripe for research and rich with opportunities for new discovery.

The world's consumption of fossil fuels is pushing us collectively toward a point of critical mass. The combination of the negative impact fossil fuels have on the natural environment and their finite availability has led to widespread investigation of alternative fuel sources. The emphasis on petroleum in supporting modern life — and the need to replace it with a more sustainable, clean-burning, and accessible fuel source — drives the research proposal presented here. The proposed study asserts that, while the need for an efficient and sustainable alternative fuel method is beyond reasonable doubt, corn ethanol, one of the most prominently advocated alternatives, is in fact highly problematic and imperfect.

Topic 2: Corn Ethanol as an Alternative Fuel Source

Many advocates have proposed corn ethanol as a fuel source capable of running automobile engines and industrial machinery. According to Holt-Gimenez (2007), "biofuel champions assure us that because fuel crops are renewable, they are environment-friendly, can reduce global warming, and will foster rural development. But the tremendous market power of biofuel corporations, coupled with the poor political will of governments to regulate their activities, make this unlikely" (Holt-Gimenez, 2).

The ulterior motives of these biofuel companies will be examined as the research process advances and will be scrutinized with respect to the inefficiency of ethanol's production process. The proposed study would set out to demonstrate that corn ethanol is a poor choice for replacing petroleum as a primary fuel source.