Dr. Pepino is the director of a sensory laboratory, a ~ 1,400-square-foot research facility located in the basement of the National Soybean Research Laboratory building, on the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign campus. The sensory laboratory features a training/demonstration room area and six sensory evaluation booths each individually fitted with small individual stainless-steel sinks and a water faucet (for rinsing), sliding doors (for passing samples to and from panelist), adjustable light controls (to modify visual cues), and computers (for live data collection). Immediately adjacent to the sensory booths (connected via the sliding doors) there is a metabolic kitchen that houses cutting-edge equipment that allows for absolute control of food and liquid preparation for experimental meals.
