A new study involving researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers a molecular-level look at why coffee tastes bitter, showing how the body detects certain bitter compounds in the cup. Published April 20 in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, the research shows how the human bitter taste receptor TAS2R43 recognizes caffeine and other compounds naturally found in roasted, brewed coffee. Broader Research ImplicationsLooking beyond the taste of coffee, the research team suggested the work could potentially help lead to practical applications in the field of medicine. Bitter taste receptors are known to be helpful in humans in naturally detecting toxins, pathogens or harmful bacteria. Roth said the discovery of the molecular mechanisms explaining interactions between coffee compounds and bitter taste receptors could help “provide new therapeutic strategies for a number of diseases.”