Discussion 

Our research sought to determine whether or not PTC mutations on the TAS2R38 gene could be used as a reliable biomarker for schizophrenia. Current research has discovered that PTC insensitivity may be conducive to future schizophrenia risk, (Brewer et al., 2012,). These endophenotypes are instrumental for schizophrenia research as they help to connect important details “between genes, cells, circuits, information processing, neurocognition and functional impairment and personalized treatment selection in schizophrenia patients,” (Braff, 2015). The nontaster phenotype, therefore, can be termed as a possible endophenotype for schizophrenia. Schizophrenia has been determined to be 90 percent heritable and affects around 1 percent of the population, (Sekar et al., 2016). Hence, we decided to investigate family lineage to ascertain genetic influences on schizophrenia. Family members are more at risk if someone else in their family has schizophrenia. On that note, previous research has established that PTC is also inheritable; in fact being a taster is dominant whilst a nontaster is recessive (PTC The Genetics of Bitter Taste, n.d.). As being a nontaster is a recessive trait, this mutation is more prevalent in larger family dynamics. As such, it has been concluded that schizophrenia and PTC insensitivity are heritable. While pulling information from the All of Us database, a trend appeared in which more African Americans were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Past research shows a similar trend as African Americans are “2.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia,” (Black People, Schizophrenia, and Racial Disparities, 2022). In the meantime, we are attempting to find data that connects race and PTC mutations together. This information may be fundamental for understanding PTC insensitivity’s role as a schizophrenia endophenotype.