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necessarily bring about an immediate effect. What about humans? The topic of human

pheromones has inspired considerable debateamong both scientists and the general public.Humans already have multiple systems totransmit, acquire, and retain information ––do we also use pheromones to communicate?If so, what messages are we sending? Howis our behavior or physiology affected whenwe’re exposed to a pheromone? Moreover,are we even aware that we’re sending orreceiving these messages?

Monell scientists, active in the field of pheromone research since the Center’sinception 35 years ago, have authoredalmost 100 publications on the topic, themajority related to mammalian chemical

Pheromone. The term was coinedalmost 50 years ago from the Greek wordspherin, to transfer, and hormon, to excite.Presently, it’s the transfer of knowledge that is generating excitement at Monell,as scientists from diverse disciplines worktogether to increase our understanding ofchemical communication in humans.

From insects to fish to non-human mammals, pheromones are chemical signalsreleased by one individual that influence thebehavior or physiology of other individualsof the same species. Many pheromonestransmit information about reproductive orsocial status. Other chemical signals conveyinformation on identity, age, gender, andperhaps even emotional state, but don’t

Chemical Communication in Humans ––It’s Much More Than We Thought

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Continued from cover pagecommunication. Today, several teams ofMonell researchers are working to learn how humans transmit and respond to variousforms of chemical communication and toidentify the substances involved. Theirapproach involves rigorous scientific inquiryapplied on a foundation laid during the earlydays of Monell.

Basic research at Monell not onlyenhances understanding of human chemicalcommunication, but also opens doors to significant applications of this knowledge.As described below, research on chemicalsignals may result in noninvasive medicaltechniques to enhance fertility or to detectand diagnose illness in the absence of overtdisease.

after exposure to the secretions. Preti, whoheads the world’s only academic laboratoryinvestigating the chemical origin and characteristics of human underarm odors,predicts, “There will be an interest in findingthese compounds.” Wysocki concurs, adding,“What still isn’t known is if a person’s moodcan be influenced by the mood of othersstrictly through chemical communication.For example, will you become stressed ifthere’s a lot of stress pheromone being emittedby people around you?” He speculates, “We’llalso see research looking in that direction.”

Wysocki’s interest in mammalianpheromones dates back over 30 years. Hebelieves that his collaboration with Pretileads to fruitful research, explaining, “Withpheromones, there’s two sides of the equation –– a sender and a receiver. Both have to be considered.” Chemist Preti agrees,“You need someone who knows how tomeasure a behavioral change if there’s onepresent. That’s very germane and a complimentto the chemistry.” He emphasizes, “Theimportance of collaboration is obvious.”

In the MoodPheromonal influences onhuman reproductive functionFor the past 15 years, neuroscientistCharles Wysocki and analytical organicchemist George Preti have combined theirunique perspectives in pursuit of a commongoal: to understand human chemical com-munication. The team recently published aseminal paper demonstrating that secretionsfrom the underarms of human males canaffect release of luteinizing hormone, afemale reproductive hormone that influencesthe timing of ovulation and the length ofmenstrual cycles. While it was previouslyknown that underarm secretions from bothmen and women include constituents thatcan change the length of the female menstrualcycle, this is the first study to demonstrate apotential hormonal mediator. Preti comments,“Our results show that there is a primerpheromone or pheromones in the underarm.Once we’ve isolated and identified thechemical nature of these compounds, there’sthe possibility we can use them to regulatecycles for an individual with abnormal cyclelength, perhaps enhancing her fertility.” Hequickly cautions, “That’s way in the future.”

Scientists now think that some pheromoneshave the potential to affect mood. Alongthese lines, Preti and Wysocki believe thatthey have uncovered a second pheromonaleffect of male underarm secretions: womenreported feeling less tense and more relaxed

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Leslie J. Stein, Ph.D.Editor & Writer

Mary M. Chatterton, J.D.Resource Development

Henry C. WilliamsWriter

Candace diCarloPhotography

Jamie OstrohaPhotography, pp 7-9

Sandra Gelak Design

Telephone215.898.6666

Emailinfo@monell.org

Web Sitewww.monell.org

Monell ChemicalSenses Center3500 Market StreetPhiladelphia, PA19104-3308

The Monell Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit basicresearch institute, is devoted to investigation of taste, smell, and chemosensory irritation.

Articles may not be reproduced in any form without permission of The Monell Center.

The Scent of a Woman

Social support throughchemical communication?Psychobiologist Julie Mennella looks atsimilar questions, but from a different perspective. While Preti and Wysocki’s studyfocused on effects of male-female interac-tions on reproductive physiology and mood,Mennella teamed up with researchers at theUniversity of Chicago to explore whetherchemosensory signals from lactating womeninfluence other women. Mennella explains,“Until very recently in human history, women likely cycled through continuous periods ofpregnancy and lactation. So, when consider-ing whether reproductive state would havean effect on other women, we thought oflooking at the effect of lactating women on the menstrual cycle.” The collaboratorsfound that odors collected from pads in theunderarm and breast areas of breastfeedingwomen changed menstrual cycle length andsexual motivation of other women. Becausemothers nursed several times over the odorcollection interval, the researchers don’tknow whether signals came from mother,baby, or perhaps both.

Infant-maternal communication may provideanother approach to treating fertility problems.

C h a r l e s W y s o c k i , P h DG e o r g e P r e t i , P h D

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cues in urine. Additional analysis revealedthat the mice appear to be responding to differences in the patterns of chemicals.

That’s where BenjaminSmith comes in. Smith, apostdoctoral fellow fromAustralia trained in bothbiology and chemistry, istrying to identify the criticalchemicals and patternsresponsible for distinguish-ing odortype. It’s not an easytask. “What we’re doing istaking a complex jigsawpuzzle and looking at the little pieces to identify whichpart is necessary to recognize the picture,”he explains. Smith isolates groups of chemicalcompounds from urine of mice with differingodortypes. Next, he and Yamazaki check tosee if other mice can distinguish the chemicaldifferences. After countless hours of chemical extraction and behavioral testing,the scientists now believe that the ratio of acidic components, particularly a group of compounds known as carboxylic acids,may be relaying the crucial information.

Alluding to anecdotes about women whobecome pregnant soon after adopting a baby,Mennella speculates that chemical signals frominfants may influence reproductive hormonesand maternal behavior of women. She is curiousto know, “What are those babies doing?”

Mennella, whose research program onmother-infant feeding interactions includes a large emphasis on women’s health, pointsout that research on the implications ofhuman female chemical communication has not received much attention. Regardingbreastfeeding support groups, she reflects,“Yes, there’s learning going on. But, odorsof other lactating women may also lead tohormonal responses that promote lactation,especially in the first time mother.” She further believes that chemical communicationmay convey social support, and would likefuture studies to explore how lactating odorsaffect mood, “There may be subtle effects ofthese odors. For instance, does exposure tobreastfeeding chemosignals increase maternalbehavior in other women?” Mennella predictsthat continued study of chemical communi-cation among women will provide additionalinsight into the intricate social behaviors sheis seeking to unravel.

Odor IDChemical cues to individualidentity: Back to the armpit?When looking at a group of people in aphoto, complex patterns of visual cuesenable you to recognize a famous movieactress, your son’s teacher, the mayor ofyour city, and thousands of other people.

Similarly, a distracted mother can distin-guish her child’s cry in a crowded roomthrough the child’s unique voiceprint,the result of individual differences in theanatomical structures and muscle movementsthat produce speech.

Can we also use odor to identify individualhumans? Based on over 25 years of research,Monell Director Gary Beauchamp and colleague Kunio Yamazaki believe that wecan. Yamazaki, Beauchamp and their collabo-rators have published over 30 papers onresearch with mice, showing that genes thatdetermine immune function also determine a specific unique odor, known as an odortype,for each individual. Beauchamp comments,“Presumably, an individual mouse’s odor ––and very likely an individual human’s odor aswell –– is a fixed characteristic of that animal.”

Beauchamp and Yamazaki suspect thatimmune function genes alter an as-yet-unknown physiological function, which inturn influences the type of chemicals thatare released into body fluids such as urine,sweat, and other secretions. Experiments ofMonell chemist Alan Singer, now at theUniversity of Washington, demonstrated thatmice distinguish odortype through chemical

G a r y B e a u c h a m p , P h DB e n j a m i n S m i t h , P h DK u n i o Y a m a z a k i , P h D

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Spencer, N.A., Jacob, S., Sellergren, S., Bullivant, S., Mennella,

J.A., & McClintock, M. (2002). Effects of breastfeeding

chemosignals on human sexual motivation. Association for

Chemoreception Sciences, 24nd Annual Meeting.

Sato, T., Hirono, J., Yamazaki, K., Beauchamp, G.K. &

Yoshino, K. (2002). Basis of odor discrimination in olfaction

and odor-type-discriminating sensory system as a medical

diagnosis tool (in Japanese). Japanese Society for Electrical

and Materials Engineering, 11, 45-55.

Schaefer, M.L., Yamazaki, K., Osada, K., Restrepo, D. &

Beauchamp, G.K. (2002). Olfactory fingerprints for major

histocompatibility complex-determined body odors II:

Relationships between odor maps, genetics, odor composi-

tion and behavior. Journal of Neuroscience, 22, 9513-9521.

Yamazaki, K., Boyse, E.A., Bard, J., Curran, M., Kim, D.,

Ross, S.R. & Beauchamp, G.K. (2002). Presence of mouse

mammary tumor virus specifically alters the body odor of

mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

USA, 99, 5612-5615.

Bard, J., Yamazaki, K., Curran, M., Boyse, E.A. & Beauchamp,

G.K. (2000). Effect of B2m gene disruption on MHC-deter-

mined odortypes. Immunogenetics, 51, 514-518.

Beauchamp, G.K., Curran, M. & Yamazaki, K. (2000). MHC-

mediated odortypes expressed by pregnant females influence

male associative behavior. Animal Behaviour, 60, 289-295.

Spencer, N.A., Jacob, S., Sellergren, S., Bullivant, S., Mennella,

J.A., & McClintock, M. (2000). Effects of breastfeeding

chemosignals on the human menstrual cycle. Association

for Chemoreception Sciences, 22nd Annual Meeting.

Wysocki, C.J. & Preti, G. (2000). Human body odors and their

perception. Japanese Journal of Taste and Smell, 7, 19-42.

Yamazaki, K. (2000). Genes That Control Odor (in

Japanese). Tokyo: Kogyochosakai Publishing.

Yamazaki, K., Beauchamp, G.K., Curran, M., Bard, J. &

Boyse, E.A. (2000). Parent-progeny recognition as a function

of MHC odortype identity. Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences USA, 97, 10500-10502.

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While it’s unlikely that humans conveyinformation through urine odors, scientistsbelieve that the same pattern of chemicaldifferences is present in all body fluids.Specifically, data suggest that underarmsecretions are a source of human odortypes.With that in mind, the research team willcompare compounds in human urine and sweatto see if the same chemical makeup is presentin both. Chemist George Preti, with hisextensive experience in the chemistry ofhuman underarm secretions, will contributeto these studies. Smith observes,“That’s the great thing about Monell. Wehave people with different backgrounds whoall approach the problem with differentthoughts.”

How We’re Doing The scents of age, disease,and moreIn addition to identity, Monell scientistsbelieve that chemical signals provideinformation on personal attributes such asage and health status. From an evolutionary perspective, it’s important for an animal to assess these factors in a potential mate to help ensure healthy long-lived offspring.Recent research at the Center has demon-strated that mice can use chemical signals to determine the age of other mice. Onceagain, the critical chemical compounds maybe related to the immune system.

Regarding health, Yamazaki, Beauchampand colleagues published a paper last yearshowing that mice can use odor to distinguishanimals infected with Mammary TumorVirus before any overt signs of disease areevident. Yamazaki speculates on the implica-tions, “There is a wide variety of other viraldiseases for which symptoms are slow todevelop that could be investigated for uniqueodor production.” Beauchamp continues,predicting, “It may be possible to use the non-invasive route of body odors to identify anddiagnose certain diseases, such as AIDS andsmallpox, before they are otherwise obvious.”

Before any of this can happen, additionalbasic research is needed to provide funda-mental information regarding the identities

BibliographyMonell scientists have authored over 100 publicationson pheromones, chemical communication, and olfactory identity. The following titles represent themost recent research on these topics.

Osada, K., Yamazaki, K., Curran, M., Bard, J., Smith, B.P.C.

& Beauchamp, G.K. (2003). The scent of age. Proceedings of

the Royal Society of London B, 270, 929-933.

Beauchamp, G.K. & Yamazaki, K. (2003). Chemical signall-

ing in mice. Biochemical Society Transactions, 31, 147-151.

Preti, G., Wysocki, C.J., Barnhart, K.T., Sondheimer, S.J., and

Leyden, J.J (2003). Male axillary extracts contain pheromones

that affect pulsatile secretion of luteinizing hormone and

mood in women recipients. Biology of Reproduction,

68, 2107-2113.

Del Punta, K., Leinders-Zufall, T., Rodriguez, I., Jukam, D.,

Wysocki, C.J., Ogawa, S., Zufall, F. & Mombaerts, P. (2002).

Deficient pheromone responses in mice lacking a cluster of

vomeronasal receptor genes. Nature, 419, 70-74.

K u n i o Y a m a z a k i , P h D M a r y a n n e C u r r a n ,S e n i o r R e s e a r c h S p e c i a l i s tand effects of chemical signals, as well as

the influences of age, diet and other factors.Research at Monell is providing that infor-mation, thus leading to enhancement ofknowledge concerning human reproductivefunction and social behavior, improved andefficient technologies for the detection anddiagnosis of human disease. As CharlesWysocki observes, “With every little piece ofinformation we gain, we scrape away a little bit of blackness on the window. As wepeek through a little more and begin to see thathumans have the potential to communicatewith chemical signals, we’re finding thathuman behavior and physiology respond much more to chemical communication than we originally believed.”

Dwight R. Riskey, Ph.D.is a corporate leader whohas directed marketing,technology, and businessdevelopment initiativeson an international scale.

Riskey is currently Senior Vice President forGlobal Consumer Insights and BusinessDevelopment at Frito-Lay North America, adivision of PepsiCo. Riskey earned his B.A.,M.A., and Ph.D. in experimental psychologyat UCLA and took his first career step as apostdoctoral fellow at Monell in 1977. He credits his experience at Monell with instillingthe “intellectual curiosity” and confidence inemploying empirical analysis that helpedhim tackle each of his corporate positions.“My experience at the Monell Center was trulyformative for me. Monell’s cross-disciplinaryapproach, and the opportunity it provided torub shoulders with focused and committedresearchers, led to an awesome, awakeningacademic experience.” Riskey has maintaineda close relationship with Monell over thepast two decades, and he joined the Board to “help continue and even energize Monell’simportant missions –– and because I feel Iowe a great deal to my Monell experience.”Monell’s contributions to “the world’s bodyof knowledge” have always been a keyattraction for Riskey. “At Monell,” he relates,“the objective is clear and focused –– to betterunderstand the chemical senses. Monell’s clearfocus and multidisciplinary approach are uniqueto the world, and highly effective.”

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Arthur K. Asbury, M.D.is a world-recognizedneurologist, best knownfor his clinical andexperimental studies ofperipheral neuropathies.

Asbury received his M.D. from the Universityof Cincinnati College of Medicine, followedby post-graduate training at the MassachusettsGeneral Hospital and Harvard Medical School.He then embarked on a career in academiathat has included leadership roles at some ofthe most prestigious institutions in Americanmedicine and international neurology. Hecurrently is the Van Meter Professor Emeritusof Neurology at Penn and President-Elect ofthe College of Physicians of Philadelphia.Asbury has authored or co-authored over170 articles and chapters and is editor of thestandard reference text in neurology ––Diseases of the Nervous System. His schol-arship has been recognized nationally andinternationally through his election to theInstitute of Medicine of the National Academyof Sciences and numerous other honors.

Asbury’s direct connection with Monellis relatively recent, emerging from hismembership for many years on the Board ofPenn’s Smell and Taste Center. Serving onMonell’s governing body offers the opportunityto advocate for an institution Asbury viewsas “almost unique in its focus solely on thestudy of the chemical senses.”

served as Director of the National Institute onDrug Abuse (NIDA) and also has held seniorpositions at the National Institute of MentalHealth (NIMH) and the National ScienceFoundation (NSF). Today, he is Chief ExecutiveOfficer of the AAAS, the world’s largest, multi-disciplinary scientific and engineering society,and Executive Publisher of Science magazine.

Leshner’s relationship with Monell goesback over 20 years and was deepened duringhis service at the NSF, when he played a centralrole in supporting Monell’s research. Leshner,a self-proclaimed ‘Monell groupie,’ “jumped”at the offer to join the Board “both becauseit’s a worthy cause, and because it wouldallow me to stay close to the group.” Leshnerconsiders Monell “unique... It spans all therelevant sciences and does truly multidisci-plinary research.” Leshner summarizes,“That combination of qualities has beenresponsible for the tremendous contributionsto knowledge Monell has made.”

New BoardMembers

Three distinguished individuals have recentlyjoined the Monell Center’sBoard of Directors ––Arthur K. Asbury, M.D.,Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D.,and Dwight R. Riskey,Ph.D. When contacted,each used the same wordto describe Monell ––“unique.” The same word can in turn be usedto describe each of them.Their addition to Monell’sleadership entity augmentsan exceptional group ofpeople who donate theirtime and effort to ensurethat Monell remainsamong the nation’s outstanding researchcenters.

Alan I. Leshner, Ph.D. has earned internationalacclaim for his scholarshipand achievements inleadership positions atsome of the nation’s

pre-eminent scientific institutions. He receivedhis M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physiologicalpsychology from Rutgers University. Leshner’sresearch publications focus on the biologicalbasis of behavior and he also has publishedextensively in the areas of science and technol-ogy policy and education. In recognition of hisscholarship, Leshner was elected a fellow of theAmerican Association for the Advancement ofScience (AAAS) and a member of the Institute ofMedicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Leshner’s achievements as an academicianare accompanied by his leadership accomplish-ments in science administration. Leshner has

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a key role in ensuring that the very best scientists in chemosensory research continueto be affiliated with the institution.

As Monell alumni move out intothe world, they are able to observe how theCenter has changed over the years. RussMason, Ph.D. recalls, “In the late 70s andthe 80s, the staff was young and everyonehad to know a little about many scientificdisciplines. Today, consistent with trendstoward specialization throughout science,scientists at Monell must know a lot aboutvery focused areas.” Mason, who was atMonell from 1980 to 1995, presently is theMammal Research Program Manager of theNational Wildlife Research Center in FortCollins, Colorado, part of the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA).

Long after their time at the Center,alumni recognize the formative influenceMonell had on their careers. Andrew I.Spielman, D.M.D., Ph.D., at Monell from1988 to 1989 and currently Professor ofBasic Science and Associate Dean forAcademic Affairs at the New York University

College of Dentistry, credits the Center withimpressing upon him “the importance of acritical mass of people before one makes animpact.” Offering proof that Monell peoplecan view the same phenomenon through different lenses, Susan Knasko takes a converse view. Knasko commends her Monellexperience with demonstrating “that one personcan have a large impact on popular and scientific trends.”

Bringing together investigatorsworking on sensory systems has always beenMonell’s defining characteristic. MoniqueSmeets, Ph.D. expresses it this way,“Sensory scientists are scattered around academic institutes, often working in smallgroups or splendid isolation. Monell, in contrast, has a concentration of distinguishedscientists working solely on the study of thechemical senses. Monell shows us that thechemical senses are worthy of study, thatsensory experiences have considerable impacton our lives, and that the research findingshave both fundamental and practical relevance to science, health, and business.”

35Coming Home

to Monell

To celebrate the Center’s 35th anniversary,Monell hosted its first official alumni gathering on March 20 and 21. Althoughalumni routinely return to the Center, neverbefore have they come together for an occasion explicitly for them. The event,chaired by alumnus Thomas Getchell, Ph.D.,Professor of Physiology and Associate Deanfor Research and Basic Sciences at theUniversity of Kentucky, combined fun withwork, as the organizers took advantage ofthe occasion to solicit input on the Center’simpending growth and development fromthose who know it best –– former membersof the scientific staff.

Susan Knasko, Ph.D., who was atMonell from 1987 to 1997, appreciates thediversity of opinion that Monell alumni canprovide to the Center. Knasko, currently Director of Sensory Analysis at L’OrealUSA, comments, “Alumni outside of academic circles can access the mood ofindustry and government and help Monellbetter plan for the future.” Perspective fromthe outside also enables Monell alumni tobecome convincing spokesmen and recruitersfor the Center. Their involvement not onlyenhances the Center’s reputation, but plays

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Smeets, active at Monell from 1998 to 2002,currently is a sensory scientist at ATO, aresearch institute at Wageninger Universityin the Netherlands.

Further expounding on the Center’scentral attributes, Russ Mason values Monell’s“non-parochial view toward science, its multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving,and its outreach to industry.” Smeets viewsthe industry linkage as critical to her owngrowth as a scientist. “There is a steadyexchange of information between Monellpeople and scientists and executives fromindustry that you hardly find anywhere else.As a result, the research is at the cutting edgefrom a fundamental point of view, but alsoinspired by and relevant to industry. I feel

alumni network will foster “continued accessto expertise that is unrivaled in the world.”

Monell’s 35th Anniversary AlumniReunion was filled with people, good science, and fun. The first day’s activitiesended with a reception and dinner at theUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum ofArchaeology and Anthropology. Dwight R.Riskey, Ph.D. –– Monell alumnus and Boardmember and Senior Vice President forGlobal Consumer Insights and BusinessDevelopment at Frito-Lay North America,a PepsiCo Division –– was honored for hisachievements in the field of chemosensoryscience.

The following morning, DirectorGary Beauchamp and other members ofMonell’s administration presented the Center’splans for the future and then solicited inputfrom the alumni, leading to a thoughtful andwide-ranging session. The reunion concludedwith a casual get-together Friday evening at Beauchamp’s home in West Philadelphia,where conversations about people and science ––past, present, and future –– fittingly broughtthe first official alumni reunion to a close.

I came away from Monell as a hard-nosedscientist, but with an eye towards strategicopportunities and practical relevance.”

For some, appreciation of the roleof industry in research was not immediate.Barry Green, Ph.D., Fellow at the John B.Pierce Laboratories and Professor of Surgery(Otolaryngology) at the Yale UniversitySchool of Medicine, remembers that “thesystem of industrial sponsorship took somegetting used to.” Green, who arrived atMonell in 1983 for a 13-year stay, continues,“Eventually, I came to realize that questionsabout commercial applications can sometimeslead to new avenues of basic research, andone such question led to my first research onchemesthesis, a topic I still study today.”

But, in the end, it’s the people ofMonell who make the difference, and whatalumni best remember. “Ultimately, of course,the value and strength of any institution liesin the quality of its people,” Green emphasizes,“and in that regard Monell has no peer inthe chemical senses, whether judged by itsexcellent current staff or the multitude ofscientists throughout the world who havetrained or worked there over the past 35 years.”Andrew Spielman anticipates that the new

preceded the first Congress-ionally-mandated National ScienceFoundation report in 1982 on the status of women and minorities in science and engineering. The NSF’s 2000 report, tenthand most recent in the series, continued tofind Black and Hispanic students –– andfemales in general –– woefully under-represented among all students pursuing science degrees. For over two decades,Monell’s apprenticeship program for highschool students and college undergraduateshas addressed this pressing national concern.

From its modest beginnings, the HighSchool and Undergraduate Training Programswung into high gear when Julie Mennella,Ph.D. became its director in 1991. Mennellacame to Monell in 1988 as a post-doctoralfellow and today is a member of the scientificstaff with active NIH-funded research programsand specific interests in taste and smell

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UnlockingHuman Potential

Monell’s High School and Undergraduate Training Program

Monell has a strong commitment to educating the next generation of scientists,beginning as early as possible in their careers.As part of this responsibility, the Center sponsorsa student apprenticeship program with par-ticipants who are just starting out in scienceor trying to learn whether science is for them.

The High School and UndergraduateTraining Program provides hands-on researchtraining to high school students and collegeundergraduates –– particularly minority and female students –– and encourages themto consider future careers in science andmedicine. The ultimate goal is to give thesemostly inner city youth the opportunity tounlock their individual human potential.

Servinga NeedBegun in 1981 with three minority highschool students, the start of Monell’s High School and Undergraduate Training Program

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perception during human infancy and childhood, as well as alcohol use and women’shealth.

Initially, Mennella was less concernedwith national social issues than the value of the student apprentices to the scientific mission of the Center. The students “were agreat source of help” to the scientists, andshe moved to expand the number of under-graduates in the program. Under her watch,the program has continued to grow because,in Mennella’s words, “it fits into the visionof Monell to do the best possible research.”If it didn’t contribute to the scientific enterprise, “it wouldn’t work.”

And it has worked. More than 40 highschool and undergraduate students now participate in the program each year, andmore than 300 have been trained over thepast two decades, most in the decade of the1990s. Over three-quarters of the studentshave been from underrepresented minoritygroups and over 60 percent have been female.

Reaping Tangible ResultsThe training program begins in June eachyear and continues full-time for at least eightweeks of lectures, field trips, and hands-onlaboratory work with Monell scientists. Theinterns are paid for their time in the program.The summer culminates in an August symposium where students present posterson their research experiences. Many of thestudents work in the laboratories of theirMonell mentors following the summer, andover half return for at least an additional year.

The return rate of the student appren-tices is one key indicator of the program’s success. Mennella explains that its value tothe students increases as their participationlengthens. In the initial year, students benefitimmediately from receiving a paycheck,often their first. They make new friends and begin to learn the rudiments of doing science on a professional level. And theygain insight into the demands on scientists.Mennella relates that more than one studentwas “surprised by how much scientists needto write.”

But it is “what happens over time” that’sreally critical, as the program makes it “comfortable for the students to come back.”When they do, they deepen relationshipswith their mentor scientists and with eachother, undergraduates mentoring high school students as they themselves are trainedby postdoctoral fellows and senior scien-tists. A powerful mentoring pyramid is

in college; more than 80 percent of thesestudents major in science. Several have goneon to pursue graduate studies in fields suchas medicine, nursing, chemical engineering,and psychology. Many go on to win firstprizes in local and national science fairs;students frequently co-author a manuscriptor abstract with their mentors; a select fewwin travel awards to present research find-ings at international scientific conferences.Recently, Christine Crabtree was a 2001finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search forher project on human pheromones. In 2002,Jhamirah Howard, a senior at Philadelphia’sCentral High School, received first place in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy ofScience Fair for her work on sensitive peri-ods in infant flavor learning and was thePennsylvania delegate selected to attend the

formed. The interns talk more about scienceas they gain familiarity with the continuity ofcomplete experiments. Particularly after theirthird year, they develop the requisite skillsto do science, often becoming a “valuable partof the lab.” The relationships and friendshipscontinue after their time at Monell in theform of a far-reaching alumni network, withover 70 active members.

The end-of-summer poster session andsubsequent science fairs create opportunitiesfor students to hone additional skills.They learn to organize presentations and tospeak in public before their peers, families,friends, and scientists who apply a criticaleye to their work. Personal growth comesfrom increased self-esteem, confidence,and a sense of independence. For some, an incalculable benefit was the simple realizationthat they “liked working.” LaShauna Jackson,a sophomore at Temple University studyingnursing, came to recognize that “there aremany choices out there and I can do researcheven as a nurse.” And a few realize that scienceis not for them and plan for other careers.

The tangible results of the program arestriking. Over 90 percent of the minority high school students in the program enroll

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National Youth Summer Science Camp inWest Virginia.

The advantages of the apprenticeshipprogram for the students are many and varied, but the Monell scientist mentors are grateful beneficiaries, too. “The biggestthing for me in the student program,” says cellular biologist Dr. Nancy Rawson, “is the joy of seeing the students get excited aboutthe process of discovery –– the first timethey run a gel that has a novel DNA sequenceon it, or realize that an experiment has generated information that no one has everseen before –– is worth all the effort andtime it takes explaining and training.”

MakingIt Happen That the High School and UndergraduateTraining Program even exists –– much less hasachieved substantial success –– is a testamentto the commitment of Monell scientists, whodevote enormous energy and time to workwith their young protégés. “Every one of my colleagues, at one time or another,”Mennella recalls, “has mentored a student.”The Center’s scientific staff participate eagerly,even through their mentoring responsibilitiescome on top of their full time commitment toresearch. Somehow, Mennella finds time to tend to the myriad administrative tasksrequired to run the apprenticeship program,which has tripled in size over the past

decade. She is assisted by part-time programcoordinator Jamie Ostroha, a Ph.D. candidatein materials engineering at nearby DrexelUniversity.

In the past, funding for the apprentice-ship program has been provided by a seriesof much-appreciated donors. The NationalCenter for Research Resources (NCRR) atthe NIH, The Annenberg Foundation, localphilanthropist Mrs. Patricia Kind, and theHoward Heinz Endowment have all played central roles in supporting the program.Now, as the program continues to grow inboth size and scope, Mennella finds herselfon a perpetual quest for sources of financialsupport to help defray rising expenses.

But it is truly a labor of love, one with measurable positive results over a long period.At a time when the nation struggles withhow best to educate its youth –– particularlythose who begin life at a disadvantage –– tosucceed in the world of tomorrow, Monell’sHigh School and Undergraduate TrainingProgram represents an effective model.There are countless ways to unlock thehuman potential of those too often ignoredor passed over –– Monell’s apprenticeshipprogram has proven to be one.

new laboratories is intended to facilitate astrong synergy between programs in basicmolecular/cellular biology and human sensorybiology. This synergy, along with the modernfacilities and equipment, will provide Monellscientists with the essential resources necessaryto increase our understanding of humanchemosensation and how it influences our lives.

Monell currently has research programsdesigned to investigate how individual differences in human taste perception –– how people experience the world uniquely –– are dependent upon genetic variation in these tastereceptor genes. Parallel work in olfaction isongoing and we anticipate that the equally vastindividual differences in perception of irritants(such as hot peppers, certain drugs, carbonation)will also be a focus of future genetic research.All of this work will be facilitated by the newlaboratories.

The expanded research facilities will alsoenhance and enable much additional work ofboth a genetic and human perceptual nature. To list just two examples, the new modern laboratories will foster advances in animalgenetic work and enable human olfactory studies that currently are not possible. Moregenerally, the state-of-the-art facilities will helpus to attract outstanding new faculty, the lifeblood of any first class research organization.

Right now, we have the vision but not yetthe wherewithal needed to complete this project that is vital to Monell’s future. In thecoming months we will be requesting financialsupport from the government, our corporatesponsors, foundations, alumni, current staff,and friends (and anyone else we can think of).Although this is clearly not the ideal time toraise money (is there ever one?), this is certainlythe ideal time for Monell to expand and grow. With substantial help from our friends I believe we can succeed. Our vision ––intimately connecting molecular biology withhuman chemosensory perception –– shouldbegin to build a science of molecular gastronomy and much more.

were. But it did raise an interesting question inmy mind: how might one approach moleculargastronomy as a scientific topic?

The question has percolated in my thoughtsover the years and now there is a glimmer of an answer. New discoveries during the past two years have revealed much about the receptors involved in detecting taste molecules.These discoveries involved substantial molecular genetic work with mice but becauseof the extremely close genetic relationshipbetween mice and people, immediate connec-tions to human perception can be made. Hence,the previously “audacious” combination ofmolecular biology and human sensory studiesis the basis for our plans for major expansionof the Center. The time is definitely ripe forsuch a melding and our vision is to insure thesetwo seemingly very different fields are tightlyentwined.

To accomplish this objective, we are committed for the first time to expanding theCenter out of our existing building. To do thiswe need to break through a wall: our goal overthe next several years is to renovate an entirefloor of the adjacent building for molecularbiology and proteomic research. Shortly there-after, we hope to occupy a second floor on theother side of the wall to expand –– in fact, dou-ble –– our human sensory science program. Inkeeping with the Center’s interdisciplinaryapproach, the physical proximity of these two

Perspective

Molecular Gastronomy: a number of yearsago I attended a fascinating conference thatwas organized around this topic. Held in amountaintop village in Sicily and convenedunder the auspices of the Italian government,the participants included physicists, chefs, foodwriters and a few others such as myself, allinterested in food. The physicist-founder of thismeeting, which occurred once every 2-3 years(but alas is no more), was famously quoted to theeffect that more is known about the temperatureinside the sun than the temperature inside asoufflé. The meeting itself consisted mostly ofconvivial discussion, a few informal presenta-tions, “experiments” in the kitchen (located ina medieval building), and great meals sharedthroughout the town. In other words, this was academic heaven for someone like myselfdeeply interested in flavor, taste and smell and food.

At the time, the title of this conference ––molecular gastronomy –– seemed a bit audacious. Perhaps it was intended in part to lead the meeting sponsors into thinking we werediscussing more hard science than we actually

G a r y K . B e a u c h a m p , P h DD i r e c t o r

10

The Other Sideof the Wall

Paol

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M o n e l l C h e m i c a lS e n s e s C e n t e r

From the Pockets of Babes...Monell Capital Campaign off to anAuspicious Start

A youngmember ofthe MonellCenter’sextendedfamilyrecently wasinspired to make the first contribution to the Center’supcoming capital campaign.Over the next three years,Monell plans to raise $8 millionto renovate two floors in theadjoining building into sorely-needed laboratory space.

When Director of ResourceDevelopment Mary Chattertonpresented plans for the funddrive to alumni attending theMarch reunion, fourth-graderJesse Tordoff was in the audi-ence. Jesse, spending a day atwork with her parents, Monellscientists Danielle Reed andMichael Tordoff, listened carefully,especially when Chattertonemphasized the need for supportfrom “those who know us best:Monell’s friends and family.”That night, Jesse –– who had justcelebrated her tenth birthday ––informed her parents that shewanted to donate half of herbirthday money to help build thenew laboratories. The next dayReed proudly presented Chattertonwith $10, wrapped in a notereading “For Monell’s ConstructionFund from Jesse Tordoff.”

Please join Jesse in helpingMonell to grow in the 21st century. Use the enclosedenvelope to send in your tax-deductible donation or contactMary Chatterton at 215.898.4236or chatterton@monell.org. Everygift –– small or large –– can makea difference. Just ask Jesse.

In 1932, Maude Monell Vetlesenhonored her first husband by con-tributing $2 million to establish theAmbrose Monell Foundation. It wasthis generous act that permitted thefounding of the Monell ChemicalSenses Center 65 years later.

During the early 1900s, AmbroseMonell headed International Nickel,the world’s leading nickel producerand refiner. When a new alloy wasinvented in 1904, it was namedMonel in honor of the company’sleader. This new metal was strongerthan pure nickel and resistant tocorrosion in special environments.Particularly popular between 1909and the 1950s and still producedtoday, Monel has been used in awide variety of products in thehome, construction, and industry.

The first spark of the relationshipbetween the Monell Foundation andthe yet-to-be-established researchcenter on the chemical senses wasstruck in the mid-1960s when a youngacademic at Cornell University ––Morley R. Kare –– gave a talk at theNutrition Foundation. As Kareremembered it, “At the conclusion ofmy talk, a gentleman came up to chatwith me. This was my introductionto Mr. Henry G. Walter, Jr., CEO of International Flavors andFragrances.” Hank Walter also happened to be a member of theMonell Foundation Board. He was

to become, in the words of currentDirector Gary Beauchamp, “a central driving force not only inMonell’s creation, but also in itsgrowth and development.”

Walter paved the way for Kare’spresentation to the Monell Foundation on the feasibility ofestablishing an institute to studytaste and smell. Ambrose K.Monell, grandson of the original

$1 million to establish and supportthe Center.

The Monell Center was originallyestablished as a division of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1978,the association between the twoinstitutions was reorganized andthe Center became a separate legalentity. Through it all, the Foundationhas been a steady supporter of theCenter, with its grants to the Center

The Namein Front of theMission

Ambrose Monell and currently on the Monell Foundation Board,believes that the Foundation’s directorswere particularly impressed byKare’s “desire to pursue research ina multidisciplinary fashion.” As aresult, the Monell Chemical SensesCenter began its life on December 15,1967 when the Monell FoundationBoard made an initial grant of

increasing significantly over time.Speaking in 1993 on the occasion

of the Center’s twenty-five year anniversary, George Rowe, Jr.,President of the Monell Foundation since 1993 and a member of theMonell Center Board for manyyears, said that “the Center hasbeen one of the Foundation’s most favored projects.” Rowe todayemphasizes, “As evidenced by the Foundation’s support, theFoundation has always been verypleased with the contribution that the Center has made to the studiesof taste and smell. It has always been an enthusiastic supporter ofDr. Kare and his very able successor,Dr. Gary K. Beauchamp.”

Ambrose K. Monell, grandson

of the man whose name graces both a

Foundation and our Center, reflected on

the occasional difficulty of carrying that

name. With a smile, he recounts the first

time he walked into the Monell Center

building. He announced to the receptionist

that he was Ambrose Monell and had an

appointment to meet with Morley Kare.

The receptionist eyed the young man in

front of her and responded with just a

touch of sarcasm, “Yeah, and I’m the

Queen of England.”

In a remarkable twist of fate,

Monell Director Gary Beauchamp

was surprised to discover that

the original water heater in his

West Philadelphia home had been

constructed from Monel metal.

The official registration and financial informa-tion of The Monell Chemical Senses Centermay be obtained from the PennsylvaniaDepartment of State by calling toll-free, withinPennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registrationdoes not imply endorsement.