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Ryan Bromley is the first Monell visiting scholar to explore the intersection of the sense of taste and artistic expression. Using a multidisciplinary approach, Bromley integrates information regarding taste perception to relevant findings from psycholinguistics, anthropology and philosophy to build a case for the validity of taste in art. He will present a seminar on September 27 entitled “Taste in Art: Out of Sight, Out of Mind?”

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Research from the Monell Center reveals that exposure to secondhand smoke decreases sensitivity to cough-eliciting respiratory irritants in healthy children and adolescents. The findings may help to explain why children of smokers are more likely to develop respiratory diseases and also are more likely to experiment with smoking during adolescence.

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New findings from the Monell Center suggest that sucrose and menthol, ingredients commonly regarded as flavorings in cough drops or syrup, each act independently to reduce coughing. Implications range from medicinal to tobacco products.

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New findings from the Monell Center reveal that humans can identify the age of other humans based on differences in body odor.

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Scientists from the Monell Center report that blood glucose levels following starch ingestion are influenced by genetically-determined differences in the oral enzyme salivary amylase. Specifically, higher salivary amylase activity is related to lower blood glucose. The findings suggest that salivary amylase may contribute significantly to overall metabolic status.

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Scientists from the Monell Center report frequent loss of sweet taste in mammalian species that are exclusive meat eaters. Further, two sea-dwelling mammals that swallow their food whole have extensive taste loss. The findings demonstrate that feeding preferences of mammalian species are significantly shaped by their taste receptor biology.

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Molecular biologist Ichiro Matsumoto, Ph.D., of the Monell Center, is the recipient of the 2012 Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation, awarded annually by the Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) to an outstanding junior scientist who is an emerging leader in the field of gustation.

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Researchers from the Monell Center report that 6-month-old infants who have been introduced to starchy table foods, which often contain added salt, have a heightened preference for salty taste. They also were more likely to consume plain salt at preschool age. The findings highlight the potentially significant role of early dietary experience in shaping salty taste preferences of infants and young children.

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The Monell Center has been awarded a $2 million Core grant from NIH’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). The grant will support 3 specialized realms of research across Monell.

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Symptoms of nasal congestion have been difficult to treat because patient reports of congestion often have little relationship to the actual physical obstruction of nasal airflow. Now, scientists from the Monell Center report that the annoying feeling of nasal obstruction is related to the temperature and humidity of inhaled air. This knowledge may help researchers design effective treatments for this common symptom of nasal sinus disease.

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Raewyn Turner, an internationally known installation artist based in Auckland New Zealand, will be artist-in-residence at the Monell Center from October 10 through November 3, 2011

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Scientists from the Monell Center report that approximately one third of patients with unexplained body malodor test positive for the metabolic disorder trimethylaminuria (TMAU). A diagnosis offers relief to these individuals, as once the disease is identified, the debilitating symptoms can be ameliorated.

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New findings from the Monell Center may lend insight into why some people are especially sensitive to bitter tastes. Researchers have identified a protein inside of taste cells that acts to shorten bitter taste signals. Mice lacking the gene for this taste terminator protein are more sensitive to bitter taste and also find it more aversive.

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Bitter taste often causes rejection that can interfere with food selection, nutrition and therapeutic compliance. Now, scientists from the Monell Center and Integral Molecular describe the discovery of a compound that inhibits bitterness by acting directly on a subset of bitter taste receptors.

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A new study from the Monell Center highlights the vital role taste plays as the body’s gatekeeper. The research shows that strong bitter taste in and of itself can cause people to both report the sensation of nausea and display a pattern of stomach activity characteristic of actual nausea.

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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The Society of Flavor Chemists (SFC) and the Monell Center have signed a formal agreement to house the SFC’s library at Monell.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Monell Center scientist Mark I. Friedman, PhD has been selected to receive a 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship to pursue his work on diet and obesity.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.