Better smelling through genetics: mammalian odor perception

The increasing availability of genomic and genetic tools to study olfaction—the sense of smell—has brought important new insights into how this chemosensory modality functions in different species. Newly sequenced mammalian genomes— from platypus to dog—have made it possible to infer how smell has evolved to suit the needs of a given species and how variation within a species may affect individual olfactory perception.
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Do Pheromones Play a Role in Our Sex Lives?

Timed just right for Valentine's day, this article in the online February 13, 2012 issue of Scientific American picks up the ongoing debate about human pheromones highlighting some newer theories such as the role of the cranial nerve o or the terminal nerve in human pheromonal network.

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Making Scents - The first two in a series of animated films produced by the International Fragrance Association North America have been added to our “Making Sense of Scents” feature. The first, Making Scents, explains the different types of fragrance ingredients, research & safety testing that go into creating a new fragrance. The second, Making Scents: No Secrets, explains fragrance labeling and the importance of protecting unique creations of perfumers. Click here to watch. read

Smell Life, discovering our enigmatic sense of smell is a blog hosted by Psychology Today and written by Dr. Rachel Herz, an olfactory research scientist based at Brown University. Dr. Herz's blog covers a wide range of interesting and informative olfactory topics. Check this link monthly for new blog entries. read

"Navigating Smell and Taste Disorders" by Ronald Devere, MD and Marjorie Calvert
Loss of the sense of smell can be very debilitating. Up to 14 million Americans over the age of 55 have trouble smelling and over 200,000 people visit doctors each year for taste and smell disorders. This recently published book an excellent reference and provides a wealth of information, without a lot of scientific jargon, on all aspects of smell and taste disorders and treatment. read

"Scents and sensibility" by Kirsten Weir
This article, appearing in the February 2011 issue of the APA Monitor on Psychology, reviews research by Johan Lundstrom, PhD and Pamela Dalton, PhD of the Monell Chemical Senses Center and others that explains how the sense of smell influences cognition, emotion and other senses. read

Welcome to The Sense of Smell Institute

The Sense of Smell Institute is the research and education division of The Fragrance Foundation, the non-profit, educational arm of the global fragrance industry. We provide a one-stop resource for timely and accurate information on the sense of smell and its importance to human psychology, behavior and quality of life – a great place for scientific researchers, teachers, students, journalists, and the general public.

Smell Resources ... this is the place to get smart fast!

The Virtual Library of Olfaction is an extensive bibliography of scientific articles and books that has been compiled by our scientific advisors and organized by category. A handy glossary of olfaction is also included for your reference.

The Science of Smell Links The Science of Smell Web Links feature provides direct connections to informative internet resources focusing on the sense of smell and related topics.

The SOSI Research Exchange is the place to find scientific reports on SOSI sponsored research and White Papers that review the latest research on selected olfactory topics.

Making Sense of Scents is Making Sense of Scents is a handy resource for teachers, students and parents looking for lessons plans and activities for classroom or independent projects about the sense of smell.

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Nose in the News highlights articles that have recently appeared in the consumer press.

Smell 101 is the place to learn all about the sense of smell and the benefits of fragrance.

The Sense of Smell Institute has formed alliances with the leading institutions in the field of olfactory research to provide you with the latest groundbreaking information.

Partial or complete loss of the ability to smell is more frequent that you might think. If you are experiencing a diminished sense of smell, or other smell disorder, the resources listed in this section will be of help.

General Info
Smell Disorder Clinics
Smell Disorder Links