Contact Information

George Preti

Member

Education

Ph.D., Organic Chemistry; Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research Summary

Research in my laboratory focuses upon the nature and origin of human odors, particularly those from the underarm (axillae) and the oral cavity. We have identified the structures of many human axillary odorants, demonstrated the presence of human primer and modulator pheromones in the axillary secretions and have used our knowledge of body chemistry to diagnose disease and the time of optimum fertility in females. We are pursuing the structures of the active pheromone constituents via a bioassay-guided isolation procedure as well as employing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to generate metabolic profiles (“metabolomics”) of human urine, skin and axillary secretions to identify biomarkers of disease, individual identity and stress. In addition we study the amelioration of malodors from humans with the odor producing metabolic disease, Trimethylaminuria, as well as from agricultural and environmental activities via cross-adaptation, odor absorption and anti-microbial agents.

Keywords

olfaction, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, olfactometry, organic-analytical chemistry, human body odors, human stress odors, malodor amelioration, odor and disease, human odorprints, agricultural and environmental odors

Recent Publications

Johnson, A. T. C.; Kahmis, S. M.; Preti, G.; Kwak, J. and Gelperin, A. (2010) “DNA-coated nanosensors for breath analysis.” IEEE Sensor Journal. 10, 159-66.

Kwak, J.; Willse, A.; Preti, G.; Yamazaki, K. and Beauchamp, G. K. (2010) “In search of the chemical basis for MHC odourtypes.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 277, 2417-25.

Preti, G. and Leyden, J. J. (2010) “Genetic influences on human body odor: From genes to the axillae.” Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 130, 344-46.

Wysocki, C. J. and Preti, G. (2010) “Human pheromones: What’s purported, what’s supported.” A Sense of Smell Institute White Paper. The Fragrance Foundation: New York.

Kwak, J.; Curran-Opiekun, M.; Matsumura, K.; Preti, G.; Yamazaki, K. and Beauchamp, G. K. (2009) “Major histocompatibility complex-regulated odortypes: Peptide-free urinary volatile signals.” Physiology & Behavior. 96, 184-88.

Miyazawa, T.; Gallagher, M.; Preti, G. and Wise, P. M. (2009) “Odor detection of mixtures of homologous carboxylic acids and coffee aroma compounds by humans.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 57, 9895-901.

Miyazawa, T.; Gallagher, M.; Preti, G. and Wise, P. M. (2009) “Psychometric functions for ternary odor mixtures and their unmixed components.” Chemical Senses. 34, 753-61.