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Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the benefit of humanity.
Sep 27, 2019... Fall is here and school is back in session. In the ninth episode of Weizmann in Focus, CEO Dave Doneson shares a simple tip to help prepare for success this academic year. Weizmann Prof. Noam Sobel, who studies the olfactory system, found that people who inhaled when presented with a problem-solving task performed better than those who exhaled. So, the next time you’re faced with a difficult task, take a deep breath!
Dec 05, 2019...
Distinct stink: Mice missing a key autism gene respond similarly to nonsocial and social smells. (Shutterstock)
Neurons in mice that lack an autism gene called CNTNAP2 do not differentiate well between social and nonsocial smells, according to a new study1. These neurons are located in the prefrontal cortex — a brain region that controls social behavior — and fire haphazardly.
The findings suggest that these differences drive the social problems in the mice and perhaps in autistic people with mutations in the gene. The results appeared 25 November in Nature Neuroscience.
Nov 06, 2019...
Computer-enhanced MRI images of the brains of left-handed women identified two that were missing olfactory bulbs
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—November 6, 2019—Is a pair of brain structures called the olfactory bulbs, which are said to encode our sense of smell, necessary? That is, are they essential to the existence of this sense? Weizmann Institute of Science researchers recently showed that some humans can smell just fine, thank you, without said bulbs. Their finding – that around 0.6% of women, and more specifically, up to 4% of left-handed women, have completely intact senses of smell despite having no olfactory bulbs in their brains – calls into question the accepted notion that this structure is absolutely necessary for the act of smelling. The findings of this research, which were published in Neuron, could shake up certain conventional theories that describe the workings of our sense of smell.
Feb 24, 2020... Think about the last time you had a cold. Think how weird it felt to not be able to smell or taste anything just because your nose was clogged up. That is, to an extent, the life of people with anosmia: the term for not being able to smell. Some patients are born with it. For others, it is the result of a neurological diseases, and for others still, it comes from a surgery that removed or damaged the olfactory bulb (OB). For a long time, it was believed that without an OB, a person would not be able to smell, but a team of researchers in Israel found patients who might prove that notion wrong.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/left-handed-women-s-quirk-over-sense-of-smell/
Nov 07, 2019...
Image via Shutterstock
Scientists say they have discovered a biological anomaly that could change how we understand our sense of smell.
The study in the journal Neuron shows some people can smell normally, despite missing the part of the brain that is considered to be crucial for smell - the olfactory bulbs.
Lacking bulbs should cause anosmia (being unable to smell).
Curiously, the phenomenon mostly affects left-handed women, and has never been detected in men.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/new-active-scents-are-about-to-change-how-we-drive/
Nov 05, 2019...
Photo via Shutterstock.com
Stinky cars — everyone knows them. We’ve all stepped inside vehicles with a lingering scent of cigarette smoke, a forgotten banana peel or other olfactory nastiness.
Car dealers and rental agencies typically spray perfume or air freshener to mask offending smells. But about 30% of people don’t like the smell of perfume. Many others are allergic to various scents.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/in-the-news/rose-scents-while-you-sleep-can-boost-your-memory/
Mar 09, 2020...
In a study published by scientists from Tel Aviv University and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Current Biology, participants were exposed to the scent of roses while they were asked to remember the location of words presented on either the left or right sides of a computer screen.
They were then tested on their memory of the word locations before proceeding to nap at the lab. While napping, the scent of roses was administered again, but this time only to one nostril.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/a-sniff-test-for-coronavirus/
May 04, 2020... Prof. Noam Sobel, of the Department of Neurobiology, is a leading authority on how olfaction affects human behavior and health. Data emerging from the coronavirus pandemic show that many patients experience a temporary loss of their sense of smell. So dramatic is this loss that, in some countries, patients who report a sudden loss of olfactory acuity are declared to be coronavirus patients, even without further testing. The CDC recently added olfactory loss as a formal symptom of COVID-19.
Apr 02, 2020... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—April 2, 2020—Along with fever, cough, and shortness of breath, many COVID-19 patients report a temporary loss of sense of smell. It appears that olfactory loss is significantly greater in coronavirus patients compared to the loss often experienced during a cold and, less commonly, in influenza (non-COVID-19) patients. In some countries, such as France, a patient who claims to have sudden onset of olfactory loss will be diagnosed as a coronavirus patient – without even being tested. A similar approach is being considered in the U.K. Based on this data, Weizmann Institute of Science investigators, in collaboration with Israel’s Edith Wolfson Medical Center, developed SmellTracker – an online platform that enables self-monitoring of one’s sense of smell – in order to detect early signs of COVID-19, or in the absence of other symptoms.
Apr 05, 2020...
Is your sense of smell suddenly not working very well? Not to panic you, but sudden olfactory loss has emerged as a significant symptom in about 60 percent of COVID-19 patients.
In fact, in France, people reporting a dramatic drop-off in their ability to smell are automatically assumed coronavirus-positive.
Based on this data, Weizmann Institute scientists, in collaboration with Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, developed SmellTracker – an online platform that enables self-monitoring of smell in order to detect early signs of COVID-19.
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