Monell Chemical Senses Center

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Monell Chemical Senses Center

Monell advances the science of taste & smell to benefit human health & well-being How do we use our chemical senses to communicate? Which genes are responsible?

At Monell, world-class scientists are unlocking some of the most fundamental mysteries of what makes us human. What are the cellular mechanisms of taste and smell that contribute to the difference between lifelong health and chronic disease? How do our chemical senses shape human nutrition? The Center’s integrated research approaches range from basic molecular biology to behavioral neuroscience, from cellular biology to comparative ecology, from analytical chemistry to clinical work with human patients. Monell scientists are at the forefront of discovery, exploring the senses of taste and smell in order to answer pressing questions about health, behavior, and the environment that we could not even foresee a decade ago.

09/04/2025

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐅. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐞, 𝐌𝐃, 𝐏𝐡𝐃!

For more than four decades, Robert F. Margolskee, MD, PhD, has been a driving force in sensory science. His discovery of gustducin, a key signaling protein in taste cells, sparked a revolution in our understanding of how we perceive sweet, bitter, and savory flavors. Bob's work revealed that taste receptors aren't limited to the tongue, but play vital roles in digestion, immunity, and even oral health.

As Monell’s Director from 2014 to 2022, Bob led with vision and resilience:

✅ Recruited world-class faculty members
✅ Forged strategic global partnerships across academia and industry
✅ Expanded Monell’s clinical focus
✅ Helped the Center commemorate its milestone 50th anniversary
✅ Guided our community through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

His leadership and scientific contributions have left a lasting legacy, both at Monell and across the global scientific community.

To celebrate Bob’s extraordinary contributions, we invite you to join us for Monell’s inaugural 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 on November 12, 2025. The day-long celebration features two unmissable events, honoring Bob’s career while looking forward to the next era of discovery in sensory science.

Get your tickets or become a sponsor now at monell.org/celebration-of-science/

08/28/2025

🚨 Registration is Now Open 🚨

Join us for a scientific symposium on November 12 (8:30 AM – 5:00 PM), part of our inaugural 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆. An extraordinary lineup of speakers will come together in Philadelphia to explore the world of tuft cells in health and disease.

Found in the linings of the gut, lungs, and other organs, tuft cells are equipped with specialized taste receptors, allowing them to detect subtle chemical changes in their surroundings. These chemosensory cells don’t just “taste” in the traditional sense; they help orchestrate immune responses, protect against infections, and maintain tissue health.

The symposium is organized in honor of Director Emeritus Robert Margolskee, whose pioneering work revealed the critical role of taste receptors beyond the tongue.

Space is limited. Register now at monell.org/celebration-of-science.

08/25/2025

𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤!

Ever sniffed something weird and thought, “is this bad for me?” Or wondered whether you have the “cilantro gene”? Ever daydreamed that your perfume could spark romance, or pleaded with your child to eat their vegetables?

Join us in Philadelphia on November 12 for Monell’s first-ever Celebration of Science, where science and humor share the spotlight.

🧠 Start your day with mind-opening talks: a free scientific symposium honoring Director Emeritus Dr. Robert Margolskee.

😂 Stick around for an evening of wit and wisdom with science humorist Marc Abrahams, the mastermind behind the Ig Nobel Prizes.

The unmissable evening will celebrate Monell’s groundbreaking research, showcase our community of curious minds, and remind us all that science has room for wonder, wit, and the occasional strange smell.

Reserve your spot or become a sponsor today: monell.org/celebration-of-science/

Don’t just satisfy your curiosity—celebrate it!

06/24/2025

⏰ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 12, 2025—𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

The day begins with a free, all-day scientific symposium, “Discover the Unsung Sentinels of the Body: Honoring Director Emeritus Dr. Robert Margolskee,” presenting groundbreaking research on Tuft Cells in Health and Disease.

That evening, the celebration continues with a special reception and dinner at the Academy of Natural Sciences: An Evening of Wit and Wisdom, featuring acclaimed science humorist Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prizes.

𝑱𝒐𝒊𝒏 𝒖𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒖𝒎, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓, 𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉—we hope you’ll be part of this memorable day. We’ll learn and laugh, as we celebrate and support the Monell Chemical Senses Center.

✉️ For more information about attending, supporting, or sponsoring the Celebration, visit monell.org/celebration-of-science or contact Raechel Hammer, Senior Director of Philanthropy and Government Relations at rhammer@monell.org.

05/01/2025

📣 now for the final event of our spring 2025 seminar series: “A Gut Cell for Food Reward”

Monell Chemical Senses Center is pleased to welcome our seminar speaker, Dr. Laura E. Rupprecht on Tuesday, May 6 (at 1 PM Eastern Time). Dr. Rupprecht is an assistant professor at the Laboratory of Gut Brain Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University.

🎫 You can register on monell.org/events!

04/17/2025

“Our findings suggest that GLP-1-based therapies effectively target gut and brain pathways involved in feeding and metabolism, even in the context of a complex genetic disorder like BBS,” said first author Arashdeep Singh, PhD, former Monell Research Associate. “This offers a much-needed treatment option for an underserved population.” Singh now holds the position of Scientist at Research Diets, Inc. located in New Brunswick, NJ.

🔗 For the full story, visit monell.org/press-releases.

03/29/2025

“(The study) is particularly strong because it used repeated measures within the same participants and included different methods such as brain imaging, blood draws, and subjective ratings to test their hypothesis,” said Monell Member Dr. Kyle Burger.

Read the full story on https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/29/health/artificial-sweetener-sucralose-hunger-signals-wellness/index.html

03/28/2025

The cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. just reached peak bloom, but we have been thinking about flowers for way longer: 2025 marked the fifth year of our collaboration with Rowan University, bringing smell science and smell art to the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show.

Enjoy these highlights from the Flower Show's Family Frolic Day!

03/19/2025

Over the past three months, Monell Chemical Senses Center and A*STAR's Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) have worked together to identify three research areas of interest which will guide our recently collaboration.

The first research area explores how cultural backgrounds shape textural and mouthfeel sensory perception. The second looks at how biology influences eating behaviors, regulating hunger and satiety. Lastly, we will also explore the role of our sense of smell in health and well-being across different communities.

The two organizations aim to develop sensory testing protocols specific to Asian populations by integrating traditional Eastern culinary practices, such as fermentation and spice usage. Our work provides a framework for research that benefits both academic and industry science, supporting the creation of products that appeal to regional palates and helping tailor products that better meet consumer expectations and contribute to balanced nutrition.

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦? 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴!

Monell Insiders: monell.org/monell-insiders
Monell Academic Partnership Program: monell.org/academic-partners/

03/19/2025

Several years ago the internet was captivated by the enigma of “the dress” – specifically, was the dress black and blue, or was it white and gold? No matter what you saw, the viral debate served to highlight that humans differ remarkably in how we each perceive our personal sensory world.

Can the same thing happen with odors?

While vision scientists disagree about why people saw the dress so differently, a 2019 study from the Monell Center and collaborating institutions sheds light on the extensive individual differences in how we sense odors. Small differences in olfactory receptor genes, which are extremely common in humans, can affect the way each receptor functions.

Not only do these genetic differences highlight the importance of working with diverse populations to decode our sense of smell, but they also mean that when two people smell the same molecule, one may detect a floral odor while the other smells nothing at all.

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴-𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩? 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴!

Monell Insiders: monell.org/monell-insiders
Monell Academic Partnership Program: monell.org/academic-partners/

03/19/2025

Today we welcome our colleagues from the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) to meet Monell's scientists and join us in charting a course for our 5-year sensory research collaboration that we formally launched in Singapore last December.

"The A*STAR-Monell partnership holds tremendous potential for achieving our shared vision for advancing innovation and creating a healthier world through sensory science and nutrition research," said Executive Director Benjamin P.C. Smith, PhD. "Monell’s expertise in sensory science complements A*STAR SIFBI’S understanding of Asian genetics, eating habits, and environmental influences. This is powerful synergy. "

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦? 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴!

Monell Insiders: monell.org/monell-insiders
Monell Academic Partnership Program: monell.org/academic-partners/

03/13/2025

#𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐚!

Monell Chemical Senses Center is gearing up for an insightful two-day visit from our colleagues at A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI). Together, we’ll be diving into three key research themes that bridge science, culture, and health:

1️⃣ Textural and Mouthfeel Attributes Across East and West Populations– Exploring how cultural backgrounds shape sensory perception.

2️⃣ Olfaction and Health in East and West Populations– Investigating the role of the sense of smell in health and well-being across different communities.

3️⃣ Physiology of Appetite Regulation Across Life Stages– Understanding how age and biology influence eating behaviors, and investigating the physiological circuits (hormonal and neuronal) that regulate hunger and satiety.

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦? 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴!

Monell Insiders: monell.org/monell-insiders
Monell Academic Partnership Program: monell.org/academic-partners/

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