olfaction, neuroscience

Researchers redefine the lost art of smelling illness using one woman’s exquisitely sensitive nose.

Neurons in mosquito antennae can express more than one olfactory receptor at a time, a redundancy that likely ensures they don’t lose a potential host’s scent.

Pairs of same-sex friends who reported strong connections when they first met had similar body odors, and body odor similarity predicted whether two strangers would hit it off.

A study that examined the brains of people before and after SARS-CoV-2 infection found a decrease in brain volume and damage to olfactory areas compared with controls.

The temporary loss of olfaction stops the flies from eating any more of whatever it is that made them sick.

Some viruses, possibly even SARS-CoV-2, can sneak into the brain through the nose. Recent studies show that microglia are ready for them when they do.

Using optogenetics, scientists have simulated the sense of smell directly within the mouse brain to investigate the nature of olfactory perception.

A study identifies five women who have a functioning sense of smell despite an apparent lack of olfactory bulbs—the region of the brain that processes odors.

Carbon dioxide pumped into a bright chamber mimics a breathing host for the pest to target.

The introduced cells engrafted in the nose, became olfactory sensory neurons, and sent axons to the animals’ brains.

Authors of a small study say the two abilities likely evolved in tandem.

Researchers envision a cochlear implant–like device for the nose to give people with impaired olfaction a sense of smell.

Distributed neuronal networks help the brain sort smells.

Responses to compounds in human sweat may help explain why people with autism spectrum disorder tend to struggle with social cues.

Synaptic connections and a new neuron type emerge in high-res images, which hold promise for mapping the complete connectome.

Teams of modelers compete to develop algorithms for estimating how people will perceive a particular odor from its molecular characteristics.

Assistant Professor, Bates College. Age: 37