Perceived intensity of licorice smell (Gisladottir, 2020)

STUDY TITLE: Sequence Variants in TAAR5 and Other Loci Affect Human Odor Perception and Naming

SUMMARY: Identification of a region of the genome associated with how intensely the smell of licorice is perceived.

OVERVIEW: The perception of smell is enabled by olfactory receptors, which are proteins that bind odor molecules. Humans have about 350 olfactory receptor genes that each can detect a number of different odor compounds that together can create a vast number of different scents. However, when presented with the same smell, different individuals may perceive the smell’s intensity differently. This genome-wide association study looked at the genomes of over 11,000 Icelandic people to identify the genetics underlying differences in the perception of the scent of licorice, an ingredient found in a wide variety of candies or sweets. The study found one region of the genome associated with how intensely the scent of licorice is perceived. This variant is located in a gene known as OR6C70, which is an olfactory receptor and part of a larger family called the OR6C receptors. The same variant is also linked to the ability to distinguish the scent of licorice from other scents.

DID YOU KNOW? In general, women are found to identify odors more accurately than men. [SOURCE]

SAMPLE RESULTS: Learn more about the Nebula Research Library.

intensity of licorice sample results

SMELL INTENSITY-ASSOCIATED VARIANTS: rs60683621

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
How do we smell? (Video)

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WEEKLY UPDATE: October 17, 2020

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