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Biochemistry Lab Appears on Canadian Public Radio to Discuss Sugar Substitutes

Laura Danner, graduate student in Dr. Stephanie Olivier-Van Stichelen's lab, presented her new research at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting during the Experimental Biology (EB) 2022 meeting, held April 2–5 in Philadelphia.

In her new work, she studied the non-nutritive sweeteners acesulfame potassium and sucralose using liver cells and cell-free assays, which allow the study of cellular processes such as transport. Results from her study suggest that two sugar substitutes disrupt the function of a protein that plays a vital role in liver detoxification and the metabolism of certain drugs. These sugar substitutes, also known as non-nutritive sweeteners, provide a sweet taste with few or no calories.

Her discovery was relayed in many social platforms and various medias.

More details can be found in ASBMB Today