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A woman is outside with a scent trail behind her that attracts two hungry mosquitoes.
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
Scientists itch to decipher the cues that make some people mosquito magnets.
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?
Why Do Mosquitoes Bite Some People More Than Others?

Scientists itch to decipher the cues that make some people mosquito magnets.

Scientists itch to decipher the cues that make some people mosquito magnets.

olfactory

Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie and sides on a table
The Smell of Food Affects Metabolism in Fasting Mice
Shafaq Zia | Nov 18, 2022 | 3 min read
The odor prompted the animals’ fat cells to release lipids into circulation.
an&nbsp;<em>Aedes aegypti&nbsp;</em>mosquito, black with white dots and stripes on its joints and body, sitting on a person&#39;s skin and feeding.&nbsp;
Smelly Skin Compounds Draw Mosquitoes to Some People More than Others
Katherine Irving | Oct 19, 2022 | 3 min read
People with more carboxylic acids in their body odor are more attractive to mosquitoes, a study finds.
Close-up of a mosquito antenna with hair-like protrusions and fluorescently labeled glomeruli as green circles on the shaft
The Neuroscience Behind Why Mosquitoes Always Find You
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Aug 18, 2022 | 5 min read
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.
illustration of human brain
COVID-19 Linked to Neural Changes
Shawna Williams | Mar 7, 2022 | 3 min read
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.
Cute sleeping newborn baby child on mother hands stock photo
Exposure to Chemical from Babies Linked to Aggression
Chloe Tenn | Nov 22, 2021 | 3 min read
A study finds that the odorless compound hexadecanal, or HEX, increases aggressive behavior in women but has a calming effect on men.
LED flight simulator for mosquitos
Image of the Day: Mosquito Flight Simulator
Nicoletta Lanese | Jul 30, 2019 | 1 min read
Carbon dioxide pumped into a bright chamber mimics a breathing host for the pest to target.
Study: Autism Linked with Different Reactions to Chemical Signals
Shawna Williams | Nov 27, 2017 | 2 min read
Responses to compounds in human sweat may help explain why people with autism spectrum disorder tend to struggle with social cues.
Image of the Day: Smell You Later
The Scientist | May 15, 2017 | 1 min read
Adult olfactory stem cells can be used to grow a smattering of cells important for smell, including scent-sniffing neurons and structurally supportive sustentacular cells. 
Regularly Whiffing Essential Oils Can Retrain Lost Sense of Smell
Kerry Grens | Nov 1, 2016 | 4 min read
The simple therapy likely exploits the neural plasticity of the olfactory system.
Neuroscience of Early-Life Learning in C. elegans
Uri Bram | Feb 11, 2016 | 3 min read
Scientists identify the brain circuits with which newly hatched nematodes form and retrieve a lifelong aversive olfactory memory.
Flavor Savors
Jyoti Madhusoodanan | Jan 1, 2016 | 4 min read
Odors experienced via the mouth are essential to our sense of taste.
Misconduct Ruling for Old Retractions
Jef Akst | Jul 31, 2014 | 2 min read
Zhihua Zou, formerly of Nobel Laureate Linda Buck’s lab, engaged in research misconduct that resulted in the retraction of two highly cited papers.
Human Skin Can “Smell” Odors
Jef Akst | Jul 10, 2014 | 2 min read
Olfactory receptors in the skin may help repair damaged tissue, a study shows.
The Nose Knows
Rina Shaikh-Lesko | Mar 25, 2014 | 1 min read
The human nose can differentiate more than a trillion odors, a study finds.
Goat Pheromone Double Whammy
Rina Shaikh-Lesko | Mar 2, 2014 | 1 min read
A single molecule emitted by male goats may influence female goat physiology and behavior.
Week in Review: February 17–21
Tracy Vence | Feb 21, 2014 | 3 min read
Human vs. dog brains; widespread neuronal regeneration in human adult brain; honeybee disease strikes wild insects; trouble replicating stress-induced stem cells
Sniffing out Alzheimer’s
Jef Akst | Oct 9, 2013 | 2 min read
A peanut-butter smell test could help diagnose the neurodegenerative disease in its early stages.
Pheromone for the Young
Jef Akst | Oct 2, 2013 | 3 min read
Researchers identify a compound in juvenile mice that inhibits the sexual advances of adult males.
A Pheromone by Any Other Name
C. Ron Yu | Oct 1, 2013 | 10+ min read
Long known to play a role in sexual attraction, pheromones are revealing their influence over a range of nonsexual behaviors as researchers tease apart the neural circuitry that translates smells into action.
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