Smell and taste experts to discuss new discoveries
The Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS), a US-based scientific organization, is holding its 35th annual meeting. About 500 scientists are gathering to present new information on the role of smell and taste in disease, nutrition, and social interactions in humans as well as animals. Smell and taste play essential roles in our daily lives. These chemical senses serve as important warning systems, alerting us to the presence of potentially harmful situations or substances, including gas leaks, smoke, and spoiled food. Flavors and fragrances are also important in determining what foods we eat and the commercial products we use. The pleasures derived from eating are mainly based on the chemical senses. Thousands of Americans experience loss of smell or taste each year resulting from head trauma, sinus disease, normal aging, and neurological disorders, such as brain injury, stroke and Alzheimer's disease. By providing a better understanding of the function of chemosensory systems, scientific and biomedical research is leading to improvements in the diagnoses and treatment of smell and taste disorders. Members of AChemS (http://www.achems.org) are arriving in Huntington Beach to present the latest findings generated from research on taste, smell and related issues (see program at /files/2013%20Annual%20Meeting/Program/FINAL%202013%20AChemS%20Program.pdf). Research topics range from molecular biology to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of smell and taste disorders.
In addition, five special-subject symposia, three platform lectures, five poster sessions, and one workshop have been scheduled. During the four-day meeting 316 presentations will be made by scientists from around the world (see all scientific abstracts at http://www.achems.org/files/2013%20Annual%20Meeting/Program/FINAL%202013%20Abstracts.pdf).
Selected new discoveries to be presented at the meeting include:
To sleep, perchance to smell: Disrupting replay of recently learned odors during sleep impairs the accuracy of odor memory (http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3991; contact Dr. Dylan C. Barnes, dbarnes@nki.rfmh.org).
Does autism really affect sense of smell? (http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3992; contact Dr. E. Leslie Cameron, lcameron@carthage.edu)
Pheromone-induced associative learning reinforces sexual attraction (http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3993; contact Dr. Jane L. Hurst, jane.hurst@liv.ac.uk).
Tasting and liking: unveiling the involvement of medial prefrontal cortex (http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3994; contact Dr. Ahmad Jezzini, ahmad.jezzini@stonybrook.edu).
Blood pressure responses to sodium and potassium: A matter of good taste (http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3995; contact Contact Dr. Paul Breslin, breslin@aesop.rutgers.edu).
3-Minute smell test predicts risk of death (http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3996; contact Dr. Jayant M. Pinto, jpinto@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu).
The brain processes sniffed odors as dynamic movies, not as static snapshots (http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3997; contact Dr. Justus Verhagen, jverhagen@jbpierce.org).
Sweet and heat add when you eat: temperature affects the brain's response to sweet taste (http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3998; contact Mr. David M. Wilson, dwilso16@slu.edu).
Provided by Association for Chemoreception Sciences
