Research Overview

Sensation and Perception Research at Monell is helping to reveal how humans recognize, perceive and respond to tastes, odors and chemical irritants. Many studies focus on individual differences, examining how factors such as genetics, age, gender, experience, and the environment influence sensory capabilities. Scientists are also exploring how interactions within and between the senses influence perception of chemosensory stimuli.

Neuroscience and Molecular Biology Specialized cells translate information about the chemical nature of stimuli into electrical signals that can be used by the nervous system. How receptor cells recognize and respond to stimuli, and how this information is transmitted to and processed in the brain, are important focal points of the Center’s Neuroscience program. Other research is characterizing how chemosensory function changes with aging and certain disease states. Monell scientists are also identifying the genes that encode proteins essential to taste and olfactory transduction, along with genes responsible for individual differences in taste sensitivity.

Environmental and Occupational Health Monell’s newest multidisciplinary initiative explores both the positive and the negative health effects of exposure to airborne chemicals in home, work, and outdoor environments. Initial studies examine the impact of volatile chemicals on chemosensory function and address the role of cognitive expectations in the response to airborne chemicals. Research will use experimental, epidemiological, and modelling approaches to enhance understanding of the role of the chemical senses in occupational and environmental settings.

Nutrition and Appetite Our choices of foods and beverages are guided largely by the combination of taste, smell, and chemosensory irritation known as flavor. Monell’s scientists are studying the determinants of food and flavor preferences across the human lifespan, from infancy to old age. Researchers are also exploring how chemosensory stimuli affect the subsequent digestion and metabolism of food. Other studies probe interactions between the chemical senses and appetite, obesity, diabetes, and salt and calcium intake, as well as the physiological controls of eating behavior.

Health and Well-Being Chemosensory dysfunction can reduce quality of life, affect our work, induce nutritional imbalance, and render us more vulnerable to spoiled food, environmental toxins, and fire hazards. In collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University, Monell’s research scientists are interacting with clinicians to study chemosensory dysfunction and its impact on our lives. The production and functions of human body and mouth odors is another focus of exploration.

Chemical Ecology and Communication Studies investigate the roles of chemical signals, including individual “odortypes,” in human reproductive behavior and social communication. In conjunction with the U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture, Monell scientists are also studying the mechanisms that underlie chemosensory-mediated attraction or repellency in birds, reptiles, and fish. This knowledge is helping to identify ways to protect threatened species, minimize crop damage, control non-indigenous species, and reduce conflicts between humans and other wildlife.