Today in Episode 82 of The People's Scientist podcast, I share one of my favorite topics and that is taste receptors! It was only about 10 years ago that scientists realized the bitter taste receptors are expressed outside the mouth, and indeed are expressed in the airways and lungs. But, the lungs are not coming into contact with food, so what is their role here? Scientists provide evidence that suggests the bitter taste receptors exist as the gatekeepers or bodyguards that detect potentially harmful compounds and bacteria and thus are essential for our respiratory health and immune system. So if were are more sensitive to bitter tastes, what does this mean for our immune system? Can bitter compounds be a new treatment strategy? Tune in to find out!

Want to look up clinical trials? www.clinicaltrials.gov

Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri

Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

FB: ThePeoplesScientist

Twitter: DrSCaligiuri

Linkedin: Dr. Stephanie Caligiuri

TikTok: Dr.SCaligiuri

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.