A defect in a gene that codes for part of the mammalian sweet taste receptor can account for cats' indifference to sugar and other sweets. The findings demonstrate the major role that genetic influences on taste play in food selection and consequently on nutrition.
A naturally occurring chemical found in extra-virgin olive oils is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent that inhibits activity of cyclooxygenase enzymes. The finding is significant because inflammation increasingly is believed to play a key role in a variety of chronic diseases.
A new patent to be issued to Philadelphia's Monell Chemical Senses Center utilizes a unique method to reduce animal waste malodors, thereby helping farmers and their animals to co-exist peacefully with residential neighbors.
A new study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center may shed light on why some people like salt more than others. The results suggest that a person's liking for salty taste may be related to how much they weighed when they were born.
It's no secret that children like sweet-tasting foods. It's also known that sweet taste acts as an analgesic in children, reducing their perception of pain. Now researchers report that the analgesic efficacy of sweet taste is influenced both by how much a child likes sweet taste and by the child's weight status.
Researchers have succeeded in growing mature taste receptor cells outside the body and for the first time have been able to successfully keep the cells alive for a prolonged period of time, opening new opportunities to increase scientists' understanding of the sense of taste and how it functions in nutrition, health and disease.
A scientific paradox linking artificial sweeteners such as saccharin with a sensory experience in which plain water takes on a sweet taste has guided researchers at the Monell Center to an increased understanding of how humans detect sweet taste. The findings, reported in Nature, will open doors to the development of new sweeteners and inhibitors.
Researchers have found that taking as little as a hundred milliseconds longer to smell an odor results in more accurate identification of that odor. This seemingly simple observation has important implications regarding how olfactory information is processed by the brain.
Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center report that bitter taste perception of vegetables is influenced by an interaction between variants of taste genes and the presence of naturally-occurring toxins in the vegetable.
When searching for a meaningful Valentine's Day gift for an elderly friend or relative, don't settle on the same old box of candies again. Instead, consider highly fragrant items that bring back happy memories, suggest scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
Valentine's Day brings thoughts of romance, sometimes spurring aspiring Romeos or Juliets to seek assistance from products marketed as human pheromones. Can humans use these chemical signals to attract potential mates? It's just wishful thinking, according to scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
Scientists at the Monell Chemical Senses Center report that genes play a large role in determining individual differences in sour taste perception. The findings may help researchers identify the still-elusive taste receptor that detects sourness in foods and beverages.
Researchers at the Monell Center have identified a genetically-transmitted metabolic defect that can lead to obesity. The defect involves decreased production of liver enzymes needed to burn fat and may help to explain why some people become obese while others remain thin. The findings could open the door to the development of new obesity drugs.
A study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center reports that nicotine in the breast milk of lactating mothers who smoke cigarettes disrupts their infants' sleep patterns. The findings raise new questions regarding whether nicotine exposure through breast milk affects infant development.
According to new research from the Monell Center, if you're breast feeding, you can help baby learn to like fruits and veggies by eating them yourself. And, regardless of whether you're breast feeding or using formula, offer baby opportunities to taste fruits and vegetables during the transition to solid foods by giving repeated feeding exposures to these healthy foods.
Researchers from the Monell Center have for the first time attempted to count the number of genes that contribute to obesity and body weight. The findings suggest that over 6,000 genes "“ about 25 percent of the genome "“ contribute to help determine an individual's body weight. This high degree of complexity suggests that a quick fix to the obesity problem is unlikely.
Researchers from the Monell Center and Tokyo University of Agriculture have used a novel molecular method to identify chemical compounds from common foods that activate human bitter taste receptors. The findings may aid development of bitter inhibitors to help make health-promoting bitter foods such as green vegetables more palatable.
A new study from the Monell Center increases understanding of the biological mechanisms responsible for the nausea and vomiting that often afflict patients undergoing chemotherapy. The findings could lead to the development of new approaches to combat these debilitating side effects.
Despite the significance of taste to both human gratification and survival, a basic understanding of this primal sense is still unfolding. A new primer from scientists at the Monell Center and Florida State University, published in the February 26 issue of Current Biology, provides a clear and accessible overview of recent advances in understanding human taste perception and its underlying biology.
According to researchers at the Monell Center, fruit flies are more like humans in their responses to many sweet tastes than are almost any other species. The findings demonstrate the critical role of environment in shaping the evolution of taste preferences and feeding behavior.
Monell Center scientist Mark I. Friedman, PhD has been selected to receive a 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship to pursue his work on diet and obesity.
How children respond to the smell of alcoholic beverages is related to their mothers' reasons for drinking, according to a study from the Monell Center. When asked to smell both the odor of beer and an unpleasant odor and then indicate which they liked better, children of mothers classified as "˜Escape drinkers' were more likely than children of Non-escape drinkers to select the unpleasant odor.
Reporting in the online journal PLoS ONE, scientists from the Monell Center present behavioral and chemical findings to reveal that an individual's underlying odor signature remains detectable even in the face of major dietary changes. The findings indicate that biologically-based odorprints, like fingerprints, could be a reliable way to identify individual humans.
According to new research from the Monell Center, the degree of change in blood triglyceride levels following a fatty meal may indicate susceptibility to diet-induced obesity. The findings open doors to new methods of identifying people, including children, who are at risk for becoming obese.
Obese people who drink fructose-sweetened beverages with their meals have an increased rise of triglycerides following the meal, according to new research from the Monell Center. This effect was especially pronounced in insulin-resistant obese subjects, worsening their already adverse metabolic profiles and potentially increasing their risk for heart disease and other metabolic disorders.
New research from the University of Washington and the Monell Center indicates that children's heightened liking for sweetness has a biological basis and is related to their high growth rate. The findings indicate that children's sweet preferences decline during adolescence as their physical growth slows and eventually stops.
It may be wise to trust the female nose when it comes to body odor. According to new research from the Monell Center, it is more difficult to mask underarm odor when women are doing the smelling. The researchers speculate that females are more attuned to biologically relevant information in sweat that may guide women when choosing a mate.
Researchers from the Monell Center report that the red panda is the first non-primate mammal to display a liking for the artificial sweetener aspartame. This unexpected affinity for an artificial sweetener may reflect structural variation in the red panda's sweet taste receptor. The findings may shed light on how individual taste preferences and diet choice are shaped by molecular differences in taste receptors.
The Monell Center announced today that it has received a US$100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant will support an innovative global health research project conducted by Paul Breslin, PhD, titled "Taste-Guided Behavior on Mosquitoes Helps Eradicate Malaria."
Using sensory, genetic, and in vitro approaches, researchers from the Monell Center confirm that the T1R1-T1R3 taste receptor plays a role in human umami (amino acid) taste. They further report that variations in a gene that codes for this receptor correspond to individual differences in sensitivity to and perceived intensity of umami taste.
Robert F. Margolskee, M.D., Ph.D., a world-renowned expert on the molecular mechanisms of taste, has joined the faculty of the Monell Center. "The addition of Dr. Margolskee to our scientific staff strengthens Monell's increasing focus on the fundamental contributions of taste and smell to human health and well-being," said Gary K. Beauchamp, PhD, Director and President of the Monell Center.
As part of a year-long recreation of Darwin’s historic voyage on the HMS Beagle, an olfactory scientist from the Monell Center will explore how people respond to smell at each of the ship’s ports of call.
Oleocanthal, a compound in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure and increases antibody recognition of neurotoxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The structural change impedes the proteins’ ability to damage brain nerve cells, while increased antibody recognition may enhance immunotherapy-based treatments. The findings suggest that oleocanthal may have potential as a preventative and therapeutic agent for Alzheimer’s.
Certain common herbicides and lipid-lowering fibrate drugs act in humans to block a nutrient-sensing taste receptor also present in intestine and pancreas. These compounds were not previously known to act on the receptor, which influences glucose homeostasis and energy metabolism. The effect is specific to humans and not revealed during animal testing.
James F. Battey, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., Director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) at the National Institutes of Health, is the 2009 recipient of the Monell Center’s Kerry-Manheimer Award. The honor recognizes career achievement in the chemosensory sciences.
The Monell Center and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) are co-hosts of the Beijing International Meeting on Taste and Smell Research. Organized by Monell in collaboration with the CAS, the meeting will be the first international meeting on taste and smell to be held in China. The historic meeting will be held November 15-17 at the Beijing Marriot Hotel City Wall.
New findings from the Monell Center and Kyushu University report that endocannabinoids act directly on tongue taste receptors to specifically enhance sweet taste. The findings may open doors to the development of new therapeutic compounds to combat obesity and diabetes.
New animal research from scientists at the Monell Center and collaborators demonstrates that body fluid odors can be used to identify animals with lung cancer tumors. The findings set the stage for studies to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers in the urine of human lung cancer patients.
New research from the Monell Center reports that children’s response to intense sweet taste is related to both a family history of alcoholism and the child’s own self-reports of depression. The findings illustrate how liking for sweets differs among children based on underlying familial and biological factors.
The Monell Center and the Springside School have been awarded a grant from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation to train high school teachers about the latest developments in taste science and chemistry.
The Society of Flavor Chemists (SFC) and the Monell Center have signed a formal agreement to house the SFC’s library at Monell.
New research from the Monell Center and collaborating institutions reports that workers exposed to the complex mixture of toxic airborne chemicals following the 9/11 disaster had a decreased ability to detect odors and irritants two years after the exposure.
Scientists from the Monell Center and collaborators report that individual differences in how people experience quinine’s bitterness are related to underlying differences in their genes.
Monell Center scientists have identified one of only a few known genetic contributions to the sense of smell. Most, but not all, people detect a distinct sulfurous odor in their urine after eating asparagus. Sensory testing demonstrated that some do not produce the odor while others do not smell it. DNA analyses revealed that the inability to smell the odor was linked to genetic variation within a family of olfactory receptors.
Oral texture perception contributes to each person’s food preferences. A study from the Monell Center reports that individuals’ perception of starch texture is shaped by activity of an oral enzyme known as salivary amylase. Because starch is a major dietary component, differences in starch perception could affect food selection and nutritional status.
Robert F. Margolskee, M.D., Ph.D., a world-renowned expert on the molecular mechanisms of taste, has been named Associate Director of the Monell Center, effective immediately.
New findings from the Monell Center reveal that weight gain of formula-fed infants is influenced by the type of formula the infant is consuming. The findings highlight the need to understand the long-term influences of infant formula composition on feeding behavior, growth, and metabolic health.
Scientists from the Monell Center and collaborators report that two structurally unrelated anti-inflammatory compounds both activate the TRPA1 receptor. One, oleocanthal, is found in extra virgin olive oil while ibuprofen is an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The findings may provide novel insights into anti-inflammatory pharmacology.
A new research study dramatically increases knowledge of how taste cells detect sugars, a key step in developing strategies to limit overconsumption. Scientists from the Monell Center and collaborators have discovered that taste cells have several additional sugar detectors other than the previously known sweet receptor.
Following years of futile attempts, new research from the Monell Center demonstrates that living human taste cells can be maintained in culture for at least seven months. The findings provide scientists with a valuable tool to learn about the human sense of taste and how it functions in health and disease.
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