The Monell Chemical Senses Center is the world’s leading research institute devoted to investigating the senses of taste and smell. Founded in 1968, Monell is an independent, non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Center’s interdisciplinary approach combines physiology, psychology, neuroscience, and molecular biology with behavioral science to address basic mechanisms underlying human chemosensation and its role in health and disease.
Monell scientists conduct fundamental research on how chemicals interact with the nervous system to produce perceptions of taste and smell. This knowledge is then translated into real-world applications that improve quality of life for people of all ages. The Center houses state-of-the-art laboratories that are equipped with cutting-edge technologies used to study human sensory function at every level from molecules to behavior.
Monell’s scientific programs are organized around four themes: Taste Mechanisms; Smell Mechanisms; Population Studies; and Health & Disease. These themes reflect the broad range of questions asked by Monell scientists as they work to understand how our sense of taste and smell influence what we eat and drink, how we interact with others, our overall health and well-being, and many other aspects of daily life.
Taste Mechanisms: How do different molecules produce different tastes? What cells are involved in sensing sweet, salty, sour, bitter or umami (savory) tastants? How does diet affect taste perception? What is the genetic basis for variation in human tasting ability? These are just a few of the questions being addressed by Monell scientists working on projects within the Taste Mechanisms theme.
Smell Mechanisms: Scientists in this program area are asking similar types of questions about olfactory (smell) perception. What receptors detect odor molecules? What combinations of receptor types allow us to discriminate between different odors? How do individual differences in smelling ability impact daily life experiences such as food preferences or social interactions? Ongoing studies are also exploring how changes in smelling ability may be related to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
Population Studies: While much is known about how individual variations impact taste and smell perception, less is known about these senses at a population level. For example, what explains why certain populations show higher rates of obesity or diabetes despite having access to a variety of healthy foods? Do cultural factors play a role in these disparities? And what can be done to develop interventions that will help those at risk for chronic diseases make healthier choices about what they eat and drink? These complex questions form the focus of Population Studies at Monell.
Health & Disease: Given that our sense of taste plays an important role in regulating energy intake – too much sweetness can lead us to overeat while loss of tastebuds has been linked to poor appetite control – it should come as no surprise that disruptions in tasting ability can have serious implications for health. Monell scientists are therefore working on multiple fronts to understand how alterations in chemosensation contribute not only to overeating but also other chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension (high blood pressure), atherosclerosis (hardening/clogging of arteries), cancer cachexia (wasting syndrome), renal failure ,and more . In addition ,researchers are also investigating whether treatments designed to modulate specific aspects sensory function might provide novel therapeutic approaches for managing these chronic conditions .