Trans-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid is considered one of the most pungent compounds in underarm sweat. Galaxolide is a synthetic musk often described as having a floral, woody odor that’s used in perfumes and cosmetics, but also things like kitty litter. The research team was able to identify olfactory receptor variants for those odors. In the case of the underarm odor, most people with the more evolutionarily recent gene variant found it more intense. The opposite was true for galaxolide.
— Read more in Body Odor May Smell Worse to You Than Your Ancient Ancestors at The New York Times, or see From musk to body odor: Decoding olfaction through genetic variation at PLOS Genetics.
Fascinating!!! I’d love to see a study that includes people from families with multiple generations of perfumers – is it genes that make them better than average smellers? Exposure and education that teach them how to be better than average? Confidence/connections/nepotism that get them the job and they actually are just average smellers? I have so many questions…
Wouldn’t that be interesting?