Dr. Alejandro G. Marangoni is a Professor at the University of Guelph, Canada. His work concentrates on the physical properties of food materials in foods, cosmetics and biolubricants, with particular emphasis on sustainability, preservation of biodiversity and health. With an H-index of 103, i-index of 488 and over 36,000 citations of his work, he has published over 500 refereed research articles, 90 book chapters, 18 books, and over 40 issued patents. He is the recipient of the 2013 AOCS Stephen Chang award, the 2014 IFT Chang Award in Lipid Science, the 2014 AOCS Supelco/Nicholas Pelick Award, the 2015 ISF Kaufmann Medal, the 2017 AOCS Alton E. Bailey Medal, and the 2019 European Lipid Technology Award from EuroFed Lipids. Marangoni is a fellow of the American Oil Chemists’ Society and the Institute of Food Technologists. He is the Editor in Chief of both Elsevier’s Current Opinion and Current Research in Food Science. Dr. Marangoni has also founded and commercialized 3 major technology platforms with global reach. Dr. Marangoni was honored as one of the 10 most influential Hispanic Canadians in 2012, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2018, an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2021, and appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2025.
Summary:
From Flavor to Function: How Taste Receptors Shape Personalized Nutrition
The relationship between food and human physiology extends far beyond nutrient composition and caloric intake. Emerging evidence demonstrates that taste perception is deeply integrated with metabolic regulation, digestive physiology, satiety signaling, and individual food choice behavior. This presentation explores how taste receptors—once considered solely responsible for sensory perception in the oral cavity—play broader physiological roles throughout the gastrointestinal tract and contribute to interindividual variability in nutritional responses.
Human taste systems exhibit significant genetic and phenotypic diversity, influencing sensitivity to sweet, bitter, salty, sour, umami, and fat-associated stimuli. Variations in receptor expression and signaling pathways help explain differences in food preference, eating behavior, and susceptibility to diet-related chronic diseases. Beyond the tongue, extraoral taste receptors located in the gut, pancreas, and other tissues participate in hormonal regulation, glucose homeostasis, lipid sensing, and appetite control, linking sensory perception directly to metabolic function.
The lecture will examine current advances in the molecular biology and biophysics of taste reception, emphasizing how food structure, ingredient interactions, and oral processing modulate receptor activation and sensory experience. Particular attention will be given to the emerging role of fat perception, texture-mediated signaling, and the integration of tribology, colloid science, and food microstructure in determining flavor release and physiological response.
These developments are creating new opportunities for personalized nutrition strategies tailored to individual sensory phenotypes and metabolic needs. By integrating sensory science, molecular nutrition, soft matter physics, and food design, next-generation foods may be engineered to improve health outcomes while maintaining consumer acceptance and pleasure. The presentation will discuss both the scientific opportunities and the translational challenges associated with developing personalized dietary systems that account for sensory diversity, metabolic individuality, and the complex relationship between flavor perception and human health.