Olfaction News and Research

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Your diet may have more to do with your sense of smell than you think

Researchers analyzed dietary patterns and odor identification in 6,690 adults in Italy, finding that healthier plant-rich diets, particularly those emphasizing fruits and vegetables, were associated with better olfactory function and lower odds of hyposmia. Diets emphasizing less healthy plant foods showed the opposite association, although the cross-sectional study could not establish whether diet influences smell or impaired smell affects food choices.

14 Oct 2026

Fruit fly brain inspires energy-efficient scent classification algorithm

In the animal kingdom, energy conservation is essential for survival. That's why our brains have evolved to be extremely energy and resource efficient at storing and processing information.

24 Aug 2026

Machine learning creates a color wheel for complex odors

If you want to describe a particular color, you could look to the Pantone color wheel to find its exact hue, saturation and brightness, and how it compares to other colors. But nothing like that has existed for complex odors.

20 Aug 2026

Sniffing chocolate scent boosts leg workout performance without extra effort

When was the last time you went to the gym and found working out a bit harder than expected? Leg day in particular can be tough, but a new Frontiers in Physiology study found a promising trick that might make it easier: sniffing chocolate.

9 Jul 2026

Researchers uncover shared olfactory mechanisms across mice and humans

Picture a mouse taking rapid, staccato sniffs of a crumb it's found while foraging for food. Now compare that with a human, leaning in for a single, deep inhale to gauge if a cantaloupe is ripe.

3 Jul 2026

Sniffing chocolate could make your leg day workout easier, even on an empty stomach

3 Jul 2026

Harvard scientists create first detailed map of smell receptors

For most of us, the sense of smell is an integral part of everyday life; it plays a critical role in providing information about our surroundings, alerting us to potential dangers, enhancing our sense of taste, and evoking emotions and memories.

28 Apr 2026

Lack of essential amino acid prompts animals to seek out protein-rich yeast and gut bacteria

New research from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) reveals how missing just one essential amino acid can change gene expression and the brain's sensory systems, prompting animals to seek out protein-rich yeast and gut bacteria that help them restore nutritional balance and survive in times of need.

27 Oct 2025

Smell loss emerges as the early behavioural sign of Alzheimer’s

Research reveals immune cells target brainstem nerves, linking smell loss to early Alzheimer's, offering potential for earlier diagnosis and intervention.

4 Sep 2025

Breathing patterns reveal clues about mental and physical well-being

Your breath is one of a kind. A study published June 12 in the Cell Press journal Current Biology demonstrated that scientists can identify individuals based solely on their breathing patterns with 96.8% accuracy.

13 Jun 2025

New fruit fly study shows the whole-body impact of Alzheimer’s disease

While Alzheimer's disease is mostly considered a disorder of the brain, emerging evidence suggests that the condition also affects other organs of the body.

16 May 2025

Targeting PME-1 may offer new strategies for treating neurological disorders and cancer

PME-1 is a protein that modifies other proteins by removing methyl groups, but high levels of PME-1 are observed in some diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cancer.

16 May 2025

Fighting cancer, inflammation and unlocking dementia diagnostics

In recognition of their discovery of one of our immune system’s foundations, physician Andrea Ablasser, virologist Glen Barber and biochemist Zhijian J. Chen will be awarded the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize 2025, endowed with €120,000, in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche today.

14 Mar 2025

Can olfactory loss predict disease? Study ties loss of smell to 139 health conditions

Olfactory dysfunction links to 139 conditions, with inflammation playing a key role in memory decline and cognitive issues. Olfactory enrichment shows promise.

1 Nov 2024

Altered breathing in those without a sense of smell could explain health issues

Research shows individuals with anosmia have altered breathing patterns, linking smell loss to health issues and highlighting olfaction's role in respiration.

22 Oct 2024

Mild COVID-19 disrupts brain connectivity and reduces memory function in adolescents and young adults

Study reveals localized brain changes in adolescents and young adults post-COVID, including reduced hippocampal volume and disrupted connectivity, correlating with impaired working memory. These findings highlight the importance of understanding long-term cognitive effects of mild COVID-19.

3 Oct 2024

New fluorescent probe offers non-invasive detection of smell loss

A new fluorescent imaging probe can for the first time objectively and non-invasively measure loss of smell, clinically known as anosmia.

20 Aug 2024

Can odors help fight infection? Nematode research suggests so

Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, used the nematode model Caenorhabditis elegans to determine whether the olfactory nervous system could non-autonomously control the mitochondrial unfolded protein response in response to cellular stress.

12 Aug 2024

How C. elegans uses smell to preemptively guard against pathogen attacks

Many organisms react to the smell of deadly pathogens by reflexively avoiding them. But a recent study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that the nematode C. elegans also reacts to the odor of pathogenic bacteria by preparing its intestinal cells to withstand a potential onslaught.

7 Aug 2024