Did scientists solve the mystery behind how we smell?

 For the first time, scientists from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have determined the 3D structure of how an odor molecule activates an olfactory receptor in humans at a molecular-level. The research was conducted on a specific olfactory receptor, called OR51E2, and found that it is able to detect the smell of cheese through certain molecular interactions that cause the receptor to be activated. Despite knowing that humans possess odor receptors that help us distinguish between smells, there wasn't much known about how these receptors detect molecules and convert them into scents. However, with the new 3D picture of the structure of the receptor, researchers may be closer to understanding the mechanism behind how we smell. Humans have 400 olfactory receptors and a study from 2014 suggests we can distinguish over one trillion scents. The interaction between an odorant and its specific receptor can be likened to "hitting a chord on a piano" according to Aashish Manglik, co-author of the study. He further explains that it's the combination of keys that are hit that give us the perception of a distinct odor.

Ref: Nature Journal ( https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00818-3 )