Medical research

Researchers reveal an added layer of nuance in our sense of smell

The delicate fragrance of jasmine is a delight to the senses. The sweet scent is popular in teas, perfumes and potpourri. But take a whiff of the concentrated essential oil, and the pleasant aroma becomes almost cloying. ...

Parkinson's & Movement disorders

'E-nose' could someday diagnose Parkinson's disease by 'smelling' skin

A couple of years ago, a woman named Joy Milne made headlines when scientists discovered that she could "smell" Parkinson's disease (PD) on people with the neurodegenerative disorder. Since then, researchers have been trying ...

Medical research

Earwax: A new frontier of human odor information

Scientists from the Monell Center have used analytical organic chemistry to identify the presence of odor-producing chemical compounds in human earwax. Further, they found that the amounts of these compounds differ between ...

Genetics

We each live in our own little world—smellwise

There are some smells we all find revolting. But toward a handful of odors, different people display different sensitivities—some can smell them, while some can't, or some find them appealing, while others don't. A pair ...