House cats’ noses may function like highly efficient chemical analysis equipment

Parallels between cat noses and gas chromatography provide new insights into mammalian evolution

04-Jul-2023 - A new computer simulation of domestic cats’ noses suggests that the convoluted nasal structures involved in their sense of smell function similarly to parallel coiled gas chromatographs—laboratory equipment used for highly efficient analysis of the chemical makeup of substances. Zhenxing Wu of ...

Traditional medicine plant could combat drug-resistant malaria

15-May-2023 - Much of what is now considered modern medicine originated as folk remedies or traditional, Indigenous practices. These customs are still alive today, and they could help address a variety of conditions. Now reporting inACS Omega, a team of researchers have identified compounds in the leaves of a ...

The chemistry of mummification

Specific substances for certain parts of the body

06-Feb-2023 - A international team of researchers from LMU and University of Tübingen is unveiling the secrets of ancient Egyptian embalming. Vessels from a workshop in Saqqara are providing new insights into the substances that were used to preserve human bodies. Exactly 100 years ago, the tomb of Tutankhamun ...

Sustainable scents from the mountain of the gods

ETH Zurich chemist Michailidou could see herself founding her own start-​up: “That would be a dream come true”

15-Nov-2022 - ETH Zurich chemist Freideriki Michailidou is developing novel processes for the sustainable production of fragrance ingredients. As a first step, she studied the scents of rare aromatic plants that grow only on Mount Olympus in Greece. How a product smells affects how we respond to it. So it ...

Mirror image molecules reveal drought stress in forests

Ecosystem changes can be more accurately predicted by emissions of chiral compounds

09-Sep-2022 - Worldwide, plants emit about 100 million tonnes of monoterpenes into the atmosphere each year. These volatile organic molecules include many fragrances such as the molecule pinene – known for its pine fresh scent. Since these molecules are highly reactive and can form tiny aerosol particles that ...

‘E-nose’ could someday diagnose Parkinson’s disease by ‘smelling’ skin

Artificial Intelligent Olfactory System could someday help diagnose Parkinson’s disease at an early stage, when treatment is most effective

25-Feb-2022 - A couple of years ago, a woman named Joy Milne made headlines when scientists discovered that she could “smell” Parkinson’s disease (PD) on people with the neurodegenerative disorder. Since then, researchers have been trying to build devices that could diagnose PD through odor compounds on the ...

Malaria detectable in olfactory cocktail

17-May-2018 - ETH researchers have discovered odour profiles typical of people infected with acute or asymptomatic malaria. This is a first promising step towards a low-cost diagnostic test that can be used in the field in developing countries. Malaria is still a deadly disease in tropical and subtropical ...

'Sniffing' urine to detect prostate cancer could prevent unnecessary biopsies

05-Apr-2017 - On the list of dreaded medical tests, a prostate biopsy probably ranks fairly high. The common procedure requires sticking a needle into the prostate gland to remove tissue for assessment. Thousands of men who undergo the uncomfortable procedure, prompted by a positive PSA (prostate-specific ...

Saliva test to detect GHB and alcohol poisonings

08-Jan-2016 - Scientists working at Loughborough University, UK, and the University of Cordoba, Spain, have developed a new method for the rapid diagnosis of poisoning in apparently drunk patients. The saliva-based test offers the potential to screen for poisons commonly associated with the cheap or imitation ...

Earwax: A new frontier of human odor information

Odor-producing chemicals in earwax differ according to ethnic origin

17-Feb-2014 - Scientists from the Monell Center have used analytical organic chemistry to identify the presence of odor-producing chemical compounds in human earwax. Further, they found that the amounts of these compounds differ between individuals of East Asian origin and Caucasians. The findings suggest that ...