The Bob Harrington Show Nobel Laureate on Touch and the Joy of Scientific Discovery
Sep 15, 2025
Ardem Patapoutian, the 2021 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, shares his passion for science and the art of engaging young minds beyond the lab. He emphasizes the groundbreaking research on how we sense pressure through ion channels and its implications for pain and touch. Joined by Bramiji Nalamutho, an interventional cardiologist, they discuss the evolving landscape of scientific communication post-pandemic and the importance of interdisciplinary innovation to tackle pressing medical challenges. Their conversation inspires a new generation of scientists to embrace discovery.
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Touch As Metaphor For Community
- Touch and in-person community regained importance post-COVID as meetings return.
- Bramiji connects Patapoutian's touch research metaphorically to the value of in-person scientific community.
Cells Sense Pressure Like Chemicals
- Cells communicate using physics as well as chemicals; pressure sensing is a major underexplored modality.
- Patapoutian's lab found Piezo1/2 ion channels that convert mechanical pressure into electrical signals in milliseconds.
One Discovery Opens Many Biology Doors
- Discovering pressure sensors opened many unexpected biology paths beyond touch and pain.
- Patapoutian notes roles in macrophage phagocytosis and baroreception, showing broad physiological impact.