Bitter Truths: Exploring Taste Receptors and Genetics

Join us for an afternoon exploring taste. We will talk about how taste information gets into the brain. The first stop is the receptors on your tongue. We will test one of your receptors by seeing if you can perceive a specific bitterness. We will then dive a little deeper into the gene responsible for this sensation by breaking into small groups and using BLAST, one of the most popular softwares for bioinformatics. You will then visualize the receptor proteins to understand how a tastant binds to give rise to perception.

This event is one of many that makeup Brain Awareness Week 2025.

This program will be presented by members of the Department of Neurobiology & Behavior at Stony Brook University. The team members have specializations in systems, behavioral, and molecular neuroscience, computation, and synaptic physiology.

The team includes:

Colista West, 3rd year PhD student

Gargi Ginia Chakraborti, 1st year MS student

Gina Rizzo, 3rd year PhD student

Lindsey Czarnecki, PhD, Department Coordinator

Narmin Mekawy, 3rd year PhD student

Stephanie Laderwager, 2nd year PhD student

Taryn Brechbill, 3rd year PhD student

Follow them on twitter @SBUNeurobiologyis

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