[FUN_Mail] PTC and other tasting lab info

Mon May 7 12:51:08 EDT 2018

Hi Dorothy,

We just buy PTC paper from the usual supply companies, no special kit needed.  Fisher sells them under Eisco Genetic Traits Testing Strips for less than $4 a tube.  I also pair the tasting with a genomics/informatics exercise in which the students have to look up the relevant alleles in OMIM, for intro bio classes.  And it's a good chance to discuss modifier allelles, because PTC tasting is not a Mendelian trait, contrary to what some older textbooks claim.

If you are into neuro/tasting labs, there is a great JUNE article about Miracle Fruit that I've used to demonstrate the differences between sensation and perception as well.  You have the students taste items across the spectrum of sweet/salty/bitter/sour/umami, and then chew a few miracle fruits, and then re-taste.  Things that they thought were sour or acidic the first time around now taste extremely sweet.  These fruit are actually used to help chemotherapy patients regain their appetite when drugs alter their taste perceptions.  Here is its citation, and a primary literature article I also have the students read before they do this lab:

Lipatova O, Campolattaro MM (2016) The Miracle Fruit:  An Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise In Taste Sensation and Perception.  The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education 15, A56-A60.

Morini G, Bassoli A, Temussi PA (2005) From small sweeteners to sweet proteins: anatomy of the binding sites of the human T1R2-T1R3 receptor. J Med Chem 48:5520-5529

I had the students rate intensity and taste categories of each food item before and after tasting the Miracle fruit.  I also had them track how long the effect lasts.  Then you can have them do some simple statistics on those data too to reinforce quantitative skills.  One warning:  the fruits ship express, and I have had a shipment go missing last fall, so order them early.  They keep quite nicely in the frige for up to 10 days; after that, they start to go a bit mushy but they still work.  You'll need about 3-4 berries for each student.  If you invite students to bring in items to taste test, that adds to the enthusiasm.   I had half of my class asking if they could bring in roommates/friends to do the lab again after its regularly-scheduled time, and some other faculty even dropped by to see what the fuss was about.  

As an add-in demo to this lab, I also do a pepper tasting, with a wide range of peppers that have different levels of Scoville units.  It demonstrates the difference between initial fast neurotransmission (the quick stabbing heat) versus the slower, lasting burn.  But make sure you cut the hotter ones wearing gloves, and also bring some cheese or sour cream to sooth those with lower heat tolerances!

Happy tasting,
Mary

Mary E. Morrison, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor 
Biology Department Chair
Neuroscience Program Coordinator
Lycoming College
Room 107 Heim Building
700 College Place
Williamsport, PA 17701
morrison at lycoming.edu
570-321-4184

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Today's Topics:

   1. PTC taster lab kits? (Kozlowski, Dorothy)

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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 6 May 2018 21:18:41 +0000
From: "Kozlowski, Dorothy" <DKOZLOWS at depaul.edu>
To: FUN FACULTY <FUN_Mail at lists.funfaculty.org>
Subject: [FUN_Mail] PTC taster lab kits?
Message-ID: <4F05FC7C-64C4-406C-8ACA-A6BD67C70117 at depaul.edu>
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Hi Everyone,
I?d like to incorporate a cellular/molecular lab for a neuroscience research course next fall. I?d like to do the PTC taster lab (genetic variant that demonstrates different people?s responses to bitter). Not being a molecular neuroscientist myself I was looking for a kit that might have all the components, a student & instructor manual, etc.
I found a few online but was hoping that perhaps someone might have tried one that they liked and worked well.
Thanks!
Dorothy

Ones I found were:
https://www.carolina.com/pcr-kits/ptc-extraction-and-amplification-kit-with-05-ml-tubes-with-perishables/211376P.pr

https://www.minipcr.com/product/minipcr-genotype-to-phenotype-ptc-taster-lab/

????

Dorothy Kozlowski Ph.D.
Vincent de Paul Professor-
Department of Biological Sciences
Director, Neuroscience Program
DePaul University

McGowan North 106
2325 N. Clifton
Chicago, IL 60614
773-325-2191
http://csh.depaul.edu/faculty-staff/faculty-a-z/Pages/biological-sciences/dorothy-kozlowski.aspx

http://csh.depaul.edu/academics/neuroscience/pages/default.aspx

http://offices.depaul.edu/svdpp/Members/Pages/Dorothy-Kozlowski.aspx

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