Scientists teach mice to smell an odour that doesn’t exist

Scientists have taught mice to smell an odour that doesn’t exist in order in a study to show how the brain identifies different scents. In experiments on mice, US neuroscientists generated an electrical signature that was perceived as an odour in the brain’s smell-processing centre, the olfactory bulb. Because the odour-simulating signal was handmade, researchers … Read more

Plants use odour camouflage tricks to ‘hide in plain sight’

Plants have an upper hand in the ecological battle against insects by using ‘odour camouflage’ to ‘hide in plain sight’ and avoid being eaten, scientists say.  Trees, herbs and shrubs are known to communicate with each other by emitting odorous chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  These smells serve as vital information to insects such … Read more