Matters of Taste
Compounds we perceive as sweet or bitter in the mouth trigger similar receptors and signaling pathways elsewhere in the body, helping to regulate digestion, respiration, and other systems.
By Thomas E. Finger and Sue C. KinnamonNov/Dec 2011
Table of Contents
Cover Story
Features
Sensing Fat
By Beverly J. Tepper and Kathleen L. KellerAre genes that alter the perception of fat making us fat?
Life Sciences Salary Survey 2011
By Jef Akst and Edyta ZielinskaUS salaries are starting to recover after last year’s survey recorded the first-ever drop.
Departments
Editorial
A Truly Happy Return
By Mary Beth AberlinAfter a roller-coaster of an October, The Scientist resumes publication under new ownership.
Notebook
Eye of Newt
By Richard P. GrantResearchers find that newts are capable of regenerating body parts well into old age.
Punch Drunk
By Jef AkstAfter a concussion forces him to retire, a former pro-wrestler starts an institute to study the neurological effects of repeated brain injuries.
Cetacean Cures
By Jef AkstDolphins heal amazingly quickly from shark bites, with no swelling, infection, and seemingly little pain, but how do they do it?
Barcode High
By Kerry GrensThe story of a group of high school students who, with the help of a Rockefeller University researcher, conducted and published studies on the biological provenance of sushi and teas from around New York City.
Speaking of Science
Speaking of The Scientist
On hearing the news in early October that The Scientist would cease publication, our readers voiced their dismay. In mid-October, we were resurrected, and our readers came out again to express their relief.
Modus Operandi
Flow Cytometry for the Masses
By Richard P. GrantTagging antibodies with rare earth metals instead of fluorescent molecules turns a veteran technique into a high-throughput powerhouse.
Critic At Large
From Test Tube to Hypodermic Needle
By James V. Parker and P. Michael ConnA prescription for educating the public on the value of using animals in medical research
Avoiding Animal Testing
By Andrew RowanAdvances in cell-culture technologies are paving the way to the complete elimination of animals from the laboratory.
The Literature
Flight of the Honeybee
By Richard P. GrantEditor’s Choice in Neuroscience
Brake Failure
By Sabrina RichardsEditor’s choice in Cell Biology
Breaching the Wall
By Rachel NuwerEditor’s choice in immunology
Reading Frames
Science and Stanzas
By Katherine LarsonA poet finds artistic inspiration in her work as a scientist and new perceptions in the lines and linkages of her art.
Profile
Critical Connections
By Karen HopkinThrough a series of sustained collaborations, Joshua Sanes has deciphered the molecular synergy that guides synapse formation.
Scientist to Watch
Frank Bradke: Privy to Axon Growth
By Jef AkstFull Professor and Senior Research Group Leader, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Age: 42
Lab Tools
Brainspotting
By Amber DanceNew, minimally invasive techniques for seeing deep inside living brains
Prime Time for Digital PCR
By Kelly Rae ChiA rundown of tools on the market and in development
Careers
Going Governmental
By Rachel NuwerFederal agencies offer interesting opportunities for researchers looking to do more than bench work.
Foundations
The Hyena Den, discovered 1821
By Jef AkstA 19th century geologist and minister investigates a prehistoric cave full of hyena bones in his native England.
Contributors
Contributors
Meet some of the people featured in the November/December 2011 issue of The Scientist.
Multimedia
Can We Taste Fats?
By Beverly J. Tepper and Kathleen L. KellerAlthough gustin and TAS2R38 contribute to the supertaster phenotype and may contribute to the perception of fat texture, researchers are…
Newts’ New Eyes
By Richard P. GrantCut off a newt’s tail or a leg, or remove a lens from its eye, and it grows back. However,…
Teen DNA Detectives
By Kerry GrensGenomicist Mark Stoeckle and three high school students have taken do-it-yourself science to a new level. Research headquarters are Stoeckle’s…
Nari’s Shark Bite
By Jef AkstIn February 2009, a bottlenose dolphin named Nari swam up to the Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort on Moreton Island off…
Taste in the Mouth, Gut, and Airways
By Thomas E. Finger and Sue C. KinnamonTaste-bud receptors, primarily on the tongue, sense the qualities of salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami (the taste of glutamate)….
Supertaster Anatomy
By Beverly J. Tepper and Kathleen L. KellerThe first inkling of a genetic basis for perceiving fat came from research on a different sensation: bitterness. One anecdotal…
