Identification of functional olfactory receptors in human taste cells opens doors to new approaches to modify food flavor

Single cell RNA-seq will provide key insight on how different types of taste cells function

New study provides insight into the genes and molecules that shape taste cell development

Findings reveal that OMP regulates odor processing by filtering ‘noisy’ signals so that incoming odor information is transmitted accurately

Some children are 20 times more sensitive to sweet taste than others

Study could lead to a clearer understanding of how sugar consumption influences perception of and liking for sweet foods and beverages

New research from the Monell Center reveals humans can use the sense of smell to detect dietary fat in food. As food smell almost always is detected before taste, the findings identify one of the first sensory qualities that signals whether a food contains fat. Innovative methods using odor to make low-fat foods more palatable could someday aid public health efforts to reduce dietary fat intake.