Latest Olfaction Stories

A Pennsylvania chemical engineer said she is working on a line of fragrances aimed at those who are nostalgic about their university years. Katie Masik said her Harrisburg-based company, Masik Collegiate Fragrances, has already created scents for the University of North Carolina and Penn State University and plans to have fragrances for the University of Georgia, Louisiana State University and other schools on the market next year, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Thursday. Masik said...

LONDON, December 10 /PRNewswire/ -- While a nation decides who will be crowned the winner of X-factor 2008, the students of the Royal College of Music continue their quest to translate the perfume aroma of 'X' by Clive Christian (makers of the World's most expensive perfume) into a piano composition, preserving the scent into a timeless piece of music. The Sound of Perfume's website (http://www.thesoundofperfume.com) is live today and takes us through the journey of 30 Royal...

For anyone who has experienced a sudden unexplained rush of feelings, such as sparks upon meeting someone for the first time or impulsive fears when boarding a plane despite being totally at ease with air travel, scientists have a possible explanation.These seemingly illogical and disparate feelings may be reactions to other people's pheromones.Although pheromones are found across the animal world from insects to mammals, research into human pheromones has been hampered by bungling...

Diet may influence odor profiles but does not prevent identification of genetically determined odortypes, U.S. researchers say. In animal studies, scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia found changing diet ingredients did not obscure detection of underlying odortypes. "These findings indicate that biologically-based odorprints, like fingerprints, could be a reliable way to identify individuals," study lead author Jae Kwak said in a statement. "If this can be shown...

When French memoirist Marcel Proust dipped a pastry into his tea, the distinctive scent it produced suddenly opened the flood gates of his memory.In a series of experiments with sleeping mice, researchers at the Duke University Medical Center have shown that the part of the brain that processes scents is indeed a key part of forming long-term memories, especially involving other individuals."We can all relate to the experience of walking into a room and smelling something that sparks a...

Much like Pavlov conditioned his dog to salivate in anticipation of food when a bell rang, insects can be trained to perform certain behaviors when enticed with different smells. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered that when training insects, the interval between the signal, or odor, and the reward "” delicious sugar water "” is everything. They also found...

Vinegar flies (Drosophila melanogaster) show a highly selective behavior towards odor stimuli. A series of behavioral studies showed that a single olfactory stimulus is often not sufficient for immediate attraction to potential food sources or oviposition sites. Interestingly, the behavior differed between investigated D. melanogaster varieties, so-called "wildtypes". Natural odors (bananas, mangos) were preferred by most flies, whereas artificial flavors induced a more...

MIT biological engineers have found a way to mass-produce smell receptors in the laboratory, an advance that paves the way for "artificial noses" to be created and used in a variety of settings.The work could also allow scientists to unlock the mystery of how the sense of smell can recognize a seemingly infinite range of odors."Smell is perhaps one of the oldest and most primitive senses, but nobody really understands how it works. It still remains a tantalizing enigma,"...

By Schiffman, Susan S Graham, Brevick G; Williams, C Mike ABSTRACT The effectiveness of 18 alternative technologies for reducing odor dispersion at and beyond the boundary of swine facilities was assessed in conjunction with an initiative sponsored through agreements between the Attorney General of North Carolina and Smithfield Foods, Premium Standard Farms, and Frontline Farmers. The trajectory and spatial distribution of odor emitted at each facility were modeled at 200 and 400 m downwind...

By Champagne, Elaine T ABSTRACT Descriptive sensory analysis has identified over a dozen different aromas and flavors in rice. Instrumental analyses have found over 200 volatile compounds present in rice. However, after over 30 years of research, little is known about the relationships between the numerous volatile compounds and aroma/flavor. A number of oxidation products have been tagged as likely causing stale flavor. However, the amounts of oxidation products, singly or collectively,...