BSF’s News Digest November-December 2024
In the spotlight
Scent teleportation update: We did it! | Osmo.ai
Scent teleportation has made significant progress in six months, improving speed, automation, and transmitting complex smells, aiming for a world where sending beautiful scents is as easy as a picture or song.
Licking this “lollipop” will let you taste virtual flavors | Ars Technica
It produces nine flavors: Sugar, salt, citric acid, cherry, passion fruit, green tea, milk, durian, and grapefruit.
Perfume olfactory pyramid: perfume notes explained | Beautinow
The olfactory pyramid is a useful tool for perfume enthusiasts to understand the life cycle of a fragrance. It ranks notes based on their properties and volatility, dividing them into three layers, each with varying durations based on the chemical composition.
The curiously strong story of mint | Gastropod
Peppermint, a popular holiday flavor, has a rich history dating back to the "Peppermint Kings." This episode explores the forgotten American mint monarchy, mint's medicinal properties, and its controversies.
A mouthful of mouthfeel | Chemistry World
Andy Extance learns how the chemicals in food and drink create sensual culinary experiences.
How do olfactory receptors discriminate scents? | Techno-science.net
By resolving the structure of olfactory receptors, a Franco-American team of scientists has shown how they bind to odorant molecules and the associated activation mechanisms*. Results published in the journal Nature could find applications in perfumery, the food industry, and even the pharmaceutical sector.
Sniffing out the mysteries of olfaction | The Transmitter
A background in physics, and his own curiosity, have helped Dmitry Rinberg tackle the complexities of the neuroscience of smell.
How natural sweeteners are shaking up the sugar game | Confectionery News
As consumers grow more health-conscious, the demand for natural alternatives to sugar is on the rise. But can these sweeteners deliver the taste and texture consumers crave without compromise?
Loss of smell tied to 100+ diseases | Futurity
New research links olfactory loss and inflammation in 139 medical conditions, highlighting the crucial role smell plays in maintaining physical and mental health.
New insights into mango evolution: Study reveals extensive hybridization within the Mangifera genus | Phys.org
A team of researchers has examined whole chloroplast genomes and nuclear gene sequences from 14 species, revealing new insights into the genetic diversity and hybrid origins of mango species. They used evolutionary relationships within the genus Mangifera to reveal extensive cross-hybridisation between species, with implications for breeding and conservation efforts.
Exhale through the gift shop | The New York Times
Museums are adding scents as another tool for communicating information about science and other subjects in their exhibits.
Artificial receptors could help us solve the puzzle of olfaction | UCSF
Researchers from Duke, UC San Francisco, and Beckman Research Institute have engineered olfactory receptors to understand odour discrimination, revealing distinct olfactory binding and activation mechanisms between class I and class II ORs.
Are perfumers born with a special gift? How do they ‘train’ their noses ? | The Perfume Society
Becoming a perfumer requires extensive training and practice. Experts share their top tips on how to train our noses.
Beer science: This popular glass keeps your brew coldest, says physics | New Atlas
Claudio Pellegrini, a professor at Federal University of São João del-Rei, suggests the classic pilsner beer glass as the optimal shape for optimal minimal heat transfer in tropical countries.
We built a tiny electronic nose that can beat a mouse at its own game | The Conversation
Researchers have developed a compact electronic nose capable of detecting odours within milliseconds, matching or exceeding the speed of mammals in extracting environmental information from the air.
Can AI improve plant-based meats? Using mechanical testing and machine learning to mimic the sensory experience | Phys.org
Stanford engineers are developing a new method for testing food texture using mechanical testing and machine learning, which could help create plant-based meats that mimic human taste.
Hidden pocket in human bitter taste receptor discovered | Phys.org
A study published in Nature Communications has discovered a hidden pocket inside one of the body's bitter taste receptors, TAS2R14. The research could help understand how the tongue senses bitterness and investigate the physiological roles of bitter taste receptors expressed extraorally. TAS2R14 is highly promiscuous, recognizing and responding to various bitter substances, including vitamins, drugs, and odorants.
Interactions between food matrices and odorants: A review | Food Chemistry
This paper reviews research on interactions between food matrices and odorants, discussing methods, advantages, disadvantages, and interaction mechanisms.
Chai culture: Exploring India’s national drink | Adventure.com
For 12 years, Intrepid leader, Saurabh Joshi, also known as Chai Lord (on Instagram at least), has guided travelers around India to show them what makes his home country so magical. Drinking chai together is a big part of these adventures. Now, Saurabh Joshi takes us into the culture of India’s national drink.
Effectively saltiness enhanced odorants screening and prediction by database establish, sensory evaluation and deep learning method | Food Chemistry
This study analysed volatile compounds in salty foods to identify candidate odourants for saltiness enhancement. The results showed that ketones, pyrazines and sulphur-containing compounds, enhanced by fungal and fatty attributes, improved saltiness perception.
A history of nutmeg | Stuff You Missed in History Class
Nutmeg is native to the Banda Islands in Indonesia. Once Europeans discovered nutmeg, they had an enormous - often violent - impact on the islands it was growing on.
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