Latest news with #LeipzigUniversity
Economic Times
04-08-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Blame your parents for how food smells to you, your genes play a major role
A groundbreaking genetic study reveals that our DNA significantly influences how we perceive and react to everyday smells. Researchers identified specific genes, like OR6A2 for coriander and OR10G4 for wood smoke, that trigger diverse reactions. These findings also link smell sensitivity to Alzheimer's risk, opening doors for personalized scents and early detection of neurological decline. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads If you've ever wrinkled your nose at the scent of coriander or found the smell of coffee strangely unappealing, science has a surprising answer, your DNA may be to blame. A groundbreaking genetic study has revealed that how we perceive, and emotionally react to, everyday smells isn't just a matter of taste or memory. Among the most compelling findings is a link to the OR6A2 gene , which influences how people perceive aldehydes, compounds found in coriander. People with a specific variant of this gene often describe the herb as having a soapy or foul taste, an aversion more common among people of East Asian and European from Leipzig University in Germany have uncovered key genetic differences that help explain why certain smells, and the foods associated with them, trigger completely opposite reactions in different people. The study, published in PLOS Biology , is the largest genetic investigation ever conducted on human olfaction, analyzing how over 21,000 people of European descent perceive 12 everyday they found was surprising, ten distinct regions of DNA, seven previously unknown, influence how we experience specific odors like clove, cinnamon, peppermint, orange, and fish. Some of these regions had sex-specific effects, offering insights into why men and women may perceive scents differently, particularly during hormonal changes such as pregnancy or striking example is the OR10G4 gene, which shapes how people react to guaiacol, the compound that gives wood smoke its distinctive scent. While some described it as nostalgic and cozy, others compared it to burning rubber. These emotional reactions came down to slight differences in just a few olfactory receptor this isn't just about coriander or candles. The study uncovered a significant link between smell sensitivity and Alzheimer's disease risk, indicating that smell testing could help detect early neurological decline. Loss of smell has already been observed in conditions like Parkinson's, COVID-19, and findings also open up commercial possibilities. With scent personalization now a growing trend, companies may soon use genetic testing to tailor perfumes, household cleaners, or even skincare products to suit an individual's olfactory next time someone turns up their nose at your favorite scent, don't take it personally, it might just be genetic.
Time of India
04-08-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Blame your parents for how food smells to you, your genes play a major role
If you've ever wrinkled your nose at the scent of coriander or found the smell of coffee strangely unappealing, science has a surprising answer, your DNA may be to blame. A groundbreaking genetic study has revealed that how we perceive, and emotionally react to, everyday smells isn't just a matter of taste or memory. Among the most compelling findings is a link to the OR6A2 gene , which influences how people perceive aldehydes, compounds found in coriander. People with a specific variant of this gene often describe the herb as having a soapy or foul taste, an aversion more common among people of East Asian and European ancestry. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Technology Data Analytics Digital Marketing Public Policy Others Management MCA Artificial Intelligence others Project Management Data Science PGDM Healthcare CXO Operations Management healthcare Degree Design Thinking MBA Data Science Cybersecurity Leadership Product Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details Researchers from Leipzig University in Germany have uncovered key genetic differences that help explain why certain smells, and the foods associated with them, trigger completely opposite reactions in different people. The study, published in PLOS Biology , is the largest genetic investigation ever conducted on human olfaction, analyzing how over 21,000 people of European descent perceive 12 everyday smells. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 3 minutes, if you own a mouse Undo What they found was surprising, ten distinct regions of DNA, seven previously unknown, influence how we experience specific odors like clove, cinnamon, peppermint, orange, and fish. Some of these regions had sex-specific effects, offering insights into why men and women may perceive scents differently, particularly during hormonal changes such as pregnancy or menstruation. Another striking example is the OR10G4 gene, which shapes how people react to guaiacol, the compound that gives wood smoke its distinctive scent. While some described it as nostalgic and cozy, others compared it to burning rubber. These emotional reactions came down to slight differences in just a few olfactory receptor genes. Live Events But this isn't just about coriander or candles. The study uncovered a significant link between smell sensitivity and Alzheimer's disease risk, indicating that smell testing could help detect early neurological decline. Loss of smell has already been observed in conditions like Parkinson's, COVID-19, and dementia. The findings also open up commercial possibilities. With scent personalization now a growing trend, companies may soon use genetic testing to tailor perfumes, household cleaners, or even skincare products to suit an individual's olfactory DNA. So next time someone turns up their nose at your favorite scent, don't take it personally, it might just be genetic.
New York Times
31-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Skulls of 19 Black Americans Return to New Orleans After 150 Years in Germany
Sometime before Jan. 10, 1872, a young Black laborer named William Roberts checked himself into Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Just 23 years old, he was from Georgia and had a strong build, according to hospital records. His only recorded sickness was diarrhea. He was one of 19 Black patients who died at the hospital in December 1871 and January 1872, and whose skulls were sent to Germany to be studied by a doctor researching a now wholly discredited science that purported a correlation between the shape and size of a skull and a person's intellect and character. The skulls languished in Germany for about 150 years until Leipzig University contacted the city of New Orleans two years ago to repatriate them. They were returned to New Orleans this month, and the 19 people are being honored on Saturday morning with a jazz funeral before the skulls are interred. While the return of human remains from museum collections has become more common, the repatriation of these 19 Black cranial remains to New Orleans is believed to be the first major international restitution of the remains of Black Americans from Europe, according to Paul Wolff Mitchell, a researcher at the University of Amsterdam who studies the 19th century history of race and science in the United States and Europe. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Guardian
30-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Now they are home': human skulls shipped overseas from New Orleans for racist research to be laid to rest
In the late 1800s, 19 Black New Orleanians' heads were dismembered and shipped to Leipzig University in Germany for research. The 19 had died at New Orleans' charity hospital between 1871 and 1872, and the research, which was commonplace at the time, sought to confirm and explore the now widely debunked theory that Black people's brains were smaller than those of other races. In the 1880s, Dr Henry D Schmidt, a New Orleans physician, sent the skulls to Dr Emil Ludwig Schmidt. They were taken from the bodies of 13 men, four women and two unidentified people. 'They were stripped of their dignity,' Dillard University's president, Monique Guillory, said at a news conference on Wednesday. 'They were people with names. They were people with stories and histories. Some of them had families, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, human beings.' Leipzig University is in the process of repatriating skulls, bringing them back to their original locations. To that end, in 2023, representatives from the university contacted the city of New Orleans to inform it of the 19 skulls. The city formed a cultural repatriation committee, led by historian Eva Baham, which includes representatives from Dillard University, the city of New Orleans, the University medical center and other community partners. Over the course of the last two years, the cultural pepatriation committee attempted, unsuccessfully, to contact descendants of the victims. Still, they were able to find out the names of the deceased and their ages (ranging from 15 to 70), what they died from and how long they had been in New Orleans – in one instance, one of the people had been in New Orleans for only hour before dying. Only five of the identified people were from Louisiana; the others were from Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Kentucky. Now, more than 150 years later, those skulls were returned to New Orleans and will be memorialized and laid to rest on Saturday – the location of the rest of their remains is unknown. A visitation will take place at Dillard University's Lawless Memorial Chapel with a service. A memorial and jazz funeral are also scheduled for that day. And the remains of 17 of the 19 – Adam Grant, Isaak Bell, Hiram Smith, William Pierson, Henry Williams, John Brown, Hiram Malone, William Roberts, Alice Brown, Prescilla Hatchet, Marie Louise, Mahala (last name unknown), Samuel Prince, John Tolman, Henry Allen, Moses Willis and Henry Anderson – will be laid to rest with their names. Two of the 19 could not be identified. All of the remains will be stored at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial. 'This is not simply about bones and artifacts. It is not only about injustices. This is about restoring and, in many ways for us here, celebrating our humanity,' Guillory said. 'It is about confronting a dark chapter in medical and scientific history, and choosing instead a path of justice, honor and remembrance. And we will do so in the most sacred way we know how: in a true New Orleans fashion, with a jazz funeral that shows the world these people mattered. They belonged. They belonged here, and now they are home.'
Vogue
14-05-2025
- Health
- Vogue
Do We Actually Need To Wear SPF Every Day? Separating Fact From Fiction
Charles Rosier and Augustinus Bader, cofounders of the latter's eponymous skincare brand, are telling me over a Zoom call about the brand's latest addition: The Sunscreen. Professor Bader's pale complexion suggests he is a sun avoider, but Rosier, on the other hand, has the kind of sun-kissed visage that denotes frequent winter breaks in the Caribbean, topped up with pit stops to the South of France. And so, on the eve of launching what Bader calls 'the biggest innovation in the field of sun protection to the market since the existence of SPF,' it seems only fair to ask: how do they personally wear sunscreen? 'I haven't been the biggest user,' admits Rosier, whose favorite holidays in the sun turn out to be Tarifa, the Gulf of Naples, and the Aeolian Islands. 'Let's say, I'm more of an old-school, European-style person who likes to have a little bit of a tan…' While Rosier's use was haphazard, it turns out fair-skinned Bader was even less of a fan. The noted director of cell techniques and applied stem cell biology at Leipzig University avoided sun cream for decades because of the possibility of exposure to toxic chemicals. Yet they are both wearing it now. 'This is not a [typical] SPF,' explains Bader of the elegant, white bottle with rose-gold trim and the clear label reading 'SPF 50.' Their first foray into sun protection comes after four years of development, hitting the sweet spot of protecting and restoring skin simultaneously. 'It's a shield, plus repair technology,' Bader continues, 'which is a big innovation in the history of SPF. Besides the shield, the repair technology [exists] to focus on inflammation.' Augustinus Bader isn't alone in its focus. Following six years of research, Sisley has revamped its suncare range with Sunleÿa Anti Aging Facial Sun Care SPF 50+ (it also comes in 30+), designed to help protect elastin and collagen fibers from both UVA and glycation. Could it be that we're finally learning to live in—and out—of the sun, balancing the joy (and highly essential vitamin D) it gives us with a sensible attitude to protecting our skin from harmful rays? If so, does a 'sensible attitude' mean more sunscreen? Or less? My cynical side can't help but be suspicious of the barrage of emails I receive telling me to wear it every day, even when I live in a country where grey skies are the norm from October through March. Lest we forget, as of 2022, the global sunscreen industry was worth more than $11 billion annually, and is estimated to reach $16 billion by 2029.
