Scientists examined the bitterness intensity of five medicines and two bitter modifiers in 338 adults of European descent and recent US and Canadian immigrants from Asia, South Asia, and Africa. Bitterness ratings differed by ancestry for two of the five drugs and the effectiveness of some modifiers. They also found genetic variants that explain some population differences in reaction to bitter tastes.
Read more …Bad bitterness made better for everyone: Global taste differences in the flavor of medicines
A vivid new image is taking shape in the world of cell biology: Imagine bacteria adhering to the surface of a cell, perhaps at the site of an injury or wound. In response, a white blood cell arrives at the scene. This cell encircles the pathogen with its membrane, forming a tight, constricting ring. With remarkable force, the white blood cell yanks the pathogen off the wound's surface. The white blood cell then engulfs the pathogen in a process called phagocytosis, in which it 'eats' the foreign invader to neutralize it.
Read more …White blood cells use brute force to dislodge bacteria