We love watching superheroes throw hammers and fly through explosions, but some real animals can do things that honestly feel ...

As mammals with large brains, humans experience smell as a powerful sensory experience that’s closely linked with memory. The smell of baking bread may take us back to a moment in Paris. A perfumy ...

Olfactory receptors are integral to sensory perception, forming a sophisticated system that enables organisms to detect and differentiate an immense variety of volatile chemical compounds. As members ...

Olfactory receptor (OR) genes, representing the largest multigene family in mammalian genomes, have undergone extensive evolutionary modifications characterised by dynamic patterns of gene duplication ...

Our noses can effortlessly distinguish the aroma of coffee from the tang of gasoline, yet how they do it has long been a mystery. In a study that appears Oct. 30 in Nature, scientists at Duke ...

Humans have about 400 odorant receptors (ORs), but scientists have had trouble finding ligands that match up with most of these ORs in lab settings—leaving them with a murky understanding of how ...

It’s clear that genes, receptors and neurons all play a role in detecting odors. But much of how we make sense of what we sniff remains mysterious. A neuroscientist explains. By Daniela Hirschfeld / ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Márquez is a marine scientist and science communicator Understanding the intricate mechanisms of shark olfaction not only deepens ...

Firmenich International has patented a high-throughput assay system for identifying compounds that enhance olfactory receptor activity, intensifying the perception of target odorant compounds. The ...

A team of chemical and biological engineers at Seoul National University in the Republic of Korea has developed a proof-of-concept device that could one day lead to the creation of an artificial nose.

Experts explain how scents like coffee, peppermint, orange, chocolate, and lemongrass may boost energy, alertness, focus, and mood naturally.