Smell and taste experts at international conference -- April 13-17, 2011
The Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS), a US-based scientific organization, is holding its 33rd annual meeting. About 700 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 St. Pete Beach to present the latest findings generated from research on taste, smell and related issues (see program at http://www.flip-programs.com/ACHEMS/AChemS_2011_Program/). Research topics range from molecular biology to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of smell and taste disorders.
In addition, six special-subject symposia, lectures, and workshops have been scheduled (see http://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3932). During the five-day meeting 415 presentations will be made by scientists from around the world (see all scientific abstracts at http://www.flip-programs.com/ACHEMS/AChemS_2011_Abstracts/).
Selected new discoveries to be presented at the meeting include:
Insulin modulates sweet taste. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3950 (contact Dr. Arian F. Baquero, arian.baquero@ucdenver.edu).
The nose may guide treatments for memory loss in aging. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3951 (contact Dr. Jennifer Bizon, jennifer.bizon@mbi.ufl.edu).
Bitter compounds may be good for asthma sufferers. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3952 (contact Deepak A. Deshpande, ddeshpan@medicine.umaryland.edu).
Olfactory training improves smell function in Parkinson´s disease patients. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3953 (contact Antje Hähner, antje.haehner@uniklinikum-dresden.de).
Presenting odor during sleep to tap emotional memories. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3954(contact Katherina Hauner, hauner@u.northwestern.edu).
Sparkling drinks spark pain circuits. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3955 (contact Emily R. Liman, liman@usc.edu).
Novel classes of odors can "jam" insect odor perception. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3956 (contact Anandasankar Ray, anand.ray@ucr.edu).
"Stink flirting" in ring-tailed lemurs. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3957 (contact Amber Walker-Bolton, amberw-b@hotmail.com).
Taste buds under attack in autoimmune diseases. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3958 (contact Hong Wang, hwang@monell.org).
Sniffing out the opposite gender, unwittingly. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3959 (contact Wen Zhou, zhouw@psych.ac.cn).
Saliva additives may aid treatment for obesity. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3960 (contact Dr. Sergei Zolotukhin, szlt@ufl.edu).
The smell of pain. https://www.achems.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3961 (contact Frank Zufall frank.zufall@uks.eu).
Provided by Association for Chemoreception Sciences
