When Chemistry makes sense: how to build a scientific career by testing and tasting

The seminar will illustrate a two decade research experience in the area of taste and sensory perception. Starting from a background in organic chemistry, I began several years ago to deal with intensive sweeteners in the era when the taste receptors were not yet known. Synthesis, sensory analysis and structure-activity relationship were the only tools available for taste scientists. The developing of computer based models took significant advances to the understanding of taste mechanism in the years after. After the 2000 the cloning of taste receptors finally disclosed new scenarios in the genetic and functions of taste and gave to researchers the extraordinary tool of in vitro assays which changed dramatically our approach to the discovery of new taste active compounds of synthetic and natural origin. Finally, I will give a survey of current hot topics in taste research, such as the integration between taste and other senses (particularly somatosensory), the extragustative role of taste receptors and he studies of taste perception in animals and organisms with agrifood and environmental applications.