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Chemistry

Map of Odorant Receptor Binding

Humans have ~400 odorant receptor genes that encode functional GPCR proteins. Binding ligands have been identified for ~80. Mapping the binding profiles of olfactory receptors from humans and other animals would enable novel biosensors and reveal novel therapeutic targets.

Resources (4)

Deciphering olfactory receptor binding mechanisms: a structural and dynamic perspective on olfactory receptors
Research and Reviews
M2OR: a database of olfactory receptor–odorant pairs for understanding the molecular mechanisms of olfaction
Research and Reviews
Structural basis of odorant recognition by a human odorant receptor
Research and Reviews
M2OR
Initiative

R&D Gaps (1)

We Can’t Yet Replicate Animal Olfaction Synthetically as a Sensing and Classification Modality

Chemistry
We currently lack a comprehensive model explaining how biological systems decode and classify chemical signals through olfaction. Understanding this process is critical for applications ranging from flavor science to disease diagnostics to understanding and harnessing animal communication.
Chemistry
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