May 2016 - Monell Newsletter: The Journey from ‘Wow!’
- Monell Partners with the Brain Health Registry. Deterioration in a person’s ability to smell can sometimes be an early sign of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Monell and the BHR seek better insight into how olfactory changes may relate to health and cognitive function.
- Digesting Sweet Taste. New research establishes that sweet taste cells also contain digestive enzymes. These findings increase understanding of the complex cellular mechanisms underlying sweet taste detection and may even point to a better-tasting non-caloric sweetener.
- Key Regulatory Role for Mysterious Molecule OMP. Solving a 30-year-old mystery regarding the function of olfactory marker protein (OMP) increased understanding of how the olfactory system integrates information to transmit accurate data about odors to the brain.
- Danielle Reed Appointed Associate Director of Monell Center. A world-recognized expert on the behavioral genetics of taste, Danielle Reed, PhD, was named Associate Director of the Monell Center.
- The Journey from Wow. From our Director of Development, a non-scientist’s view of the past year at Monell. Read on for Jenifer Trachtman’s look into how the discoveries being made in taste and smell impact our lives in often surprising ways.

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