News by Subject Medicine & Health

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have uncovered the genetics behind two distinct types of olfactory sensory neurons; the so called 'class I olfactory neurons' that has persisted from aquatic to terrestrial animals and the 'class II olfactory neurons' that only terrestrial animals possess.

Having bad breath can mean someone ate a smelly lunch, but it could indicate that the person is sick. Various scent compounds have been linked to illnesses such as diabetes, lung cancer and Parkinson's disease, leading scientists to develop technology that measures these substances. However, the challenge is creating instrumentation that can detect low, diagnostic levels of these disease biomarkers. Now, scientists report in ACS' Analytical Chemistry a highly sensitive 'sniff-cam' that fits the bill.

Hot summer weather, stressful situations and intense workouts can produce unpleasant sweaty odors. But what if clothing could cover up these embarrassing smells with a burst of fragrance? Now, researchers have modified cotton fabric to emit a lemony citronella aroma upon contact with sweat. They report their body-odor-fighting strategy in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

This study provides new insights into the functional relationships between inhibitory and excitatory neurons in the brain.

Being sprayed by a skunk is no fun for people or their pets, and the strong, stinky secretions can serve as a nasty reminder of the wildlife encounter for days or weeks. Available 'de-skunking' formulas often either don't work well or can irritate the skin and eyes. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Natural Products have identified a compound from fungi that safely and effectively neutralizes skunk spray odor.

People who suffer even a mild concussion can find it difficult to identify smells in the day that follows, and have anxiety problems a year later, a Canadian study finds.

Researchers have found that when making decisions that are important to the species' survival, zebrafish choose to mate rather than to flee from a threat. The researchers identified specific brain regions associated with such decisions. Understanding this basic biology is important when using zebrafish as a lab model for psychiatric diseases.