• Scientists have created the first detailed map of smell receptors in a mouse’s nose, published in the journal Cell.
  • The research was led by neurobiologist Sandeep Datta from Harvard, using gene sequencing of about five million nasal tissue cells.
  • Results showed that receptors are organized in precise horizontal bands, not randomly as previously thought.
  • The arrangement of receptors is influenced by retinoic acid, and drugs altering its levels can change the receptor layout.
  • The nasal receptor arrangement corresponds to the organization of the olfactory bulb in the brain.
  • This discovery could help better understand the human sense of smell.

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