2008 Woodie Awards
'Stop, hey, what's that smell?' bloggers ask
By: Lisa Du
Issue date: 9/27/07 Section: News
Last update: 9/27/07 at 6:53 AM EST
Last update: 9/27/07 at 6:53 AM EST
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Researchers connected to the study have also been receiving e-mails from people around the world thanking them for doing the study and revealing personal secrets about their attraction to bodily smells, said Hanyi Zhuang, a graduate student in Matsunami's lab.
"They actually want to know if there is a genetic basis to that and if it's related to our study," Zhuang said.
For example, one e-mail from an anonymous female revealed that she was aroused by the smell of male sweat, Matsunami said.
The researchers said studies concerning OR7D4 will continue. Matsunami said his team wants to study the role of the receptor in human evolution. The receptor is also now being studied in various primates like chimpanzees and orangutans.
"We are planning follow-up studies in which we ask if the physiological effects of sniffing the related steroidal odor, androstadienone, correlate with variation in OR7D4," Vosshall wrote in an e-mail.
Keller said the continuing study of physiological effects will include only women because of their stronger responses to androstenone.
"They actually want to know if there is a genetic basis to that and if it's related to our study," Zhuang said.
For example, one e-mail from an anonymous female revealed that she was aroused by the smell of male sweat, Matsunami said.
The researchers said studies concerning OR7D4 will continue. Matsunami said his team wants to study the role of the receptor in human evolution. The receptor is also now being studied in various primates like chimpanzees and orangutans.
"We are planning follow-up studies in which we ask if the physiological effects of sniffing the related steroidal odor, androstadienone, correlate with variation in OR7D4," Vosshall wrote in an e-mail.
Keller said the continuing study of physiological effects will include only women because of their stronger responses to androstenone.
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