MONELL CENTER

2014-2015

Annual Report

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Monell’s mission is to advance scientific understanding of the mechanisms and functions of the chemical senses to benefit human health and well-being.

Taste & Smell

Discovery Translation

Board of DirectorsDwight R. Riskey, PhD (Chair)Principal, Riskey Business Solutions LLC

Robert F. Margolskee, MD, PhDDirector & President, Monell ChemicalSenses Center

Richard L. Berkman, Esq.Of Counsel, Dechert LLP

Susan W. CatherwoodBoard Member, The Glenmede Trust, N.A. Board Member, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Deborah HayesVice President for Communications &Marketing, University of Delaware

Jane E. Henney, MDEmeritus Professor of Medicine, Universityof Cincinnati College of Medicine

Philip J. Johnson, Esq.Senior Vice President, Intellectual Property,Policy & Strategy, Johnson & Johnson

Alan I. Leshner, PhDEmeritus Chief Executive Officer, AmericanAssociation for the Advancement of Science

Ambrose K. MonellPresident and Director, The Ambrose MonellFoundation & The G. Unger VetlesenFoundation

Louise Slade, PhDPrincipal, Food Polymer Science Consultancy

Board of Directors EmeritusArthur K. Asbury, MDVan Meter Professor of Neurology Emeritus,University of Pennsylvania

International Advisory CouncilTodd Abraham, PhD (Chair)Senior Vice President, Research,Development & Quality, MondelezInternational

James J. Albrecht, PhDConsultant to Food Industry and Agribusiness

Margaret Bath, PhDSenior Vice President, Kellogg Company

Robert Eilerman, PhDFormer Senior Vice President, Global FlavorScience & Technology, Givaudan Corporation

John D. Fernstrom, PhDProfessor of Psychiatry, Pharmacology & Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Brenda D. Gavin, DVM, MBAManaging Partner and Founding Partner,Quaker Partners

Jordin T. Kare, PhDKare Technical Consulting

Takeshi Kimura, PhDMember of the Board, Corporate VicePresident for Research & Development,Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

David MacnairVice President, Global Petcare Research & Development, Mars Petcare

Stephen ManheimerVice President, Kerry

Shawn M. MarcellPresident and CEO, Metamark Genetics, Inc

Charles M. Peterson, MD, PhDSenior Advisor, U.S. Army MedicalResearch and Materiel CommandPresident, MarquiSci

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Thank you for making my first year as Director of Monell so rewarding. Thisannual report is an opportunity both to look back at the remarkable breakthroughswe achieved with your support over the past year and also to look forward to theextraordinary potential of taste and smell science.

As you read our report, I hope you will find topics and themes of keen personalinterest. As someone trained in medicine and molecular genetics, I personally feelthat some of our most exciting advances involve the strong potential to translateMonell’s genomic research into the opportunity to improve human health.

Another fascinating area of research at Monell focuses on learning more aboutinternal chemosensory cells, known as interoceptors. Just as ‘traditional’ taste andsmell receptors in the mouth and nose sense chemical information about theworld around us, interoceptors are inner chemosensory cells that help regulate theinternal chemical milieu to control many of the body’s essential functions.

We are discovering that many interoceptors have much in common with the tasteand smell receptors in our mouths and noses. For example, the same protein thatserves as a bitter taste receptor in oral taste cells also has been found in lung andairway cells, where it guards against respiratory diseases by protecting us frominhaled bacteria and other pathogens. Also, when we eat a food containing carbo-hydrates, chemosensory cells in our intestines use sweet receptor proteins to

monitor the amount of sugar digested and help regulate blood glucose levels by signaling the pancreas torelease the appropriate amount of insulin.

Monell’s pioneering work on interoceptors builds potential to identify novel therapeutic targets for metabolicdiseases. To provide just one example, in type 2 or adult onset diabetes, a decreased effectiveness of insulineventually results in the dangerous metabolic state of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Therapies that stim-ulate the intestinal interoceptors described above could help regulate blood glucose levels more effectivelyboth by stimulating more insulin release and by making the insulin more effective at transporting glucosefrom the bloodstream into cells.

Yet another highly promising avenue of research involves the emerging field of regenerative medicine,wherein stem cells are used to restore function to tissues and organs damaged by injury or aging. Already,Monell researchers are leveraging the unique regenerative properties of taste and smell stem cells in studiesto understand how they differentiate and grow into different mature cell types. The potential applications forthis research are numerous, including the identification of therapies to combat loss of taste and smell, debili-tating conditions with serious adverse consequences on health and well-being.

Monell’s science relies on people. You will see in our financials that the greatest part of our budget is used forresearch. This includes salaries for laboratory heads, postdoctoral fellows, and research assistants, togetherwith costs for research supplies and equipment. I owe a great deal of gratitude to everyone who helps to makeMonell the hallmark institution that it is.

Moving forward, we will build on what we have learned thus far to further uncover the potential of the fasci-nating and primal chemical senses. To help achieve our mission, in the coming year we will focus on recruit-ing outstanding new faculty and on expanding our collaborative ventures. We also will begin to unveil plansfor our 50th anniversary, which we will celebrate in 2018. This milestone anniversary will provide a specialopportunity for you to get to know our work and our scientists even better.

Enjoy our report! Your interest and support are critical to our success. If you want to know more about Monell – please reach out to anyone at the Center, including myself.

Robert F. Margolskee, MD, PhDDirector & President

Robert F. Margolskee

Letter from the Director

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Simultaneously broad, deep, fundamental,and targeted, Monell’s research focuses onthe mechanisms and functions of taste andsmell to expand knowledge of how we relate

to our internal and externalworlds. The resulting dis-

coveries enhance ourlives through the

potential of trans-lation and appli-cation.

Interdisciplinarycollaborationswithin the

Center and with a wide-ranging

international network of

colleagues from academic and corporateresearch facilities bring fresh perspectivesand extraordinary depth to Monell’s science.

ComplementingMonell’s researchmission, theCenter’s commit-ment to trainingbuilds potentialthrough preparationof the next genera-tion of scientists.Their contributions will insure continued dis-covery and innovation to solve the problemsand challenges yet to come.

The following selected review of recent publicationsexemplifies how the themes of health, nutrition, com-munication, training (* indicates a Monell postdoctoralfellow) and interdisciplinary research resonate throughMonell’s chemosensory science. The collective findingsreaffirm the critical value and potential of advancingdiscovery in taste and smell.

Neuroscience

The brain integrates signals from taste and smellpathways to form the sensory experience of flavor.This study used sophisticated fMRI technology tomap brain regions activated by taste alone, smellalone and the combined sensory inputs from a realworld beverage – orange juice. The findings pin-pointed a brain region where sensory inputs con-verge and may transition into a holistic flavor percept. A sub-region of this area has connectionsto memory centers, a link that may be relevant tothe formation and persistence of flavor preferences.Increased understanding of this process could pro-vide insight into reshaping unhealthy eating habits.Seubert, J*, Ohla, K*, Yokomukai, Y, Kellermann, T, &Lundström, JN. (2015). Superadditive opercular activation tofood flavor is mediated by enhanced temporal and limbiccoupling. Human Brain Mapping, 36, 1662-1676.

Two taste cell types transmit information fromsweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami receptors tothe taste nerves that send information to the brain.A fundamental problem in taste neuroscience ishow the cells signal the specificity of the taste qual-ity to the nerve. This study evaluated the role ofglucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a gut hormoneinvolved in blood glucose regulation that also isfound in taste cells of the tongue. The findingsrevealed that sweet compounds – but not othertaste qualities – stimulate taste cells to releaseGLP-1. Further, mice engineered to be missing theGLP-1 receptor were less responsive to sweet com-pounds, but not to other tastes. Together, the find-ings suggest that GLP-1 has both metabolic andtaste functions, increasing evidence for a stronginteraction between two physiological systemsinvolved in detection of sugars. Thisinterplay may have implications for thedevelopment and progression of obesityand metabolic disease. Takai, S*, Yasumatsu,K, Inoue, M, Iwata, S, Yoshida, R, Shigemura, N,Yanagawa, Y, Drucker, DJ, Margolskee, RF, &Ninomiya, Y. (2015). Glucagon-like peptide-1 isspecifically involved in sweet taste transmission.FASEB Journal, 29, 2268-2280.

Research at Monell: Building on Basic

Publications

Nutritional translation*Identifies tenable solutions to

pressing diet-related public health problems, including obesity and hypertension

*Assists industry’s need to develop healthful and well-accepted foods and beverages

Clinical translation*Harnesses knowledge of internal

chemoreceptors and of cellular regeneration to identify innovative therapies

*Develops new approaches to diagnose and treat disease

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Sensation & Perception

Children consume far more sugar and salt thanrecommended, increasing lifelong risk for poorhealth outcomes. Understanding the biologybehind children’s taste preferences is a crucialfirst step to reducing their excess salt and sugarintake. This study revealed that, in general,children prefer sweeter and saltier tastes than doadults. Further, children who most prefer high levels of sweet taste also prefer high levels of saltytaste. These preferences relate not only to real-world food intake but also to physiologicalmeasures of growth. The findings may help developinformed strategies to promote healthy eating ingrowing children. Mennella, JA, Finkbeiner, S, Lipchock,S*, Liang-Dar, H, & Reed, DR. (2014). Preferences for saltyand sweet tastes are elevated and related to each other duringchildhood. PLoS ONE, 9, e92201.

Individuals with asthma need to understand how tomanage their symptoms to prevent severe attacks.In this study of people with moderate asthma,Monell researchers demonstrated that the partici-pants’ beliefs about a benign rose-smelling odor –specifically whether it was potentially harmful(asthma-triggering) or therapeutic – influencedboth psychological and physiological responses to a15-minute odor exposure. In particular, airwayinflammation increased for at least 24 hours whenparticipants believed the odor might be harmful.The findings highlight the role that expectationscan play in health-related outcomes. Jaén, C & Dalton,P. (2014). Asthma and odors: The role of risk perception inasthma exacerbation. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 77,302-308.

The refreshing ‘bite’ of car-bonation is an integral partof beverages consumedaround the globe. The mildirritation occurs whenenzymes in the mouth con-vert carbon dioxide into car-bonic acid, which then acti-

vates sensory nerve endings. These same nerveendings also detect sensations of warming andcooling. This study revealed that while coolingenhances carbonation’s bite, warming has noeffect. The combined results lend insight intoidentifying the receptors that mediate carbonationsensation. Understanding how bite is transmittedand modulated may have implications for under-standing how to control other types of pain relatedto tissue acidification, including pain from certaincancers. Wise, PM & Bryant, BP. (2014). The effect of tem-perature and menthol on carbonation bite. Chemical Senses,39, 571-582.

Health & Disease

Bitter receptor proteins onthe tongue detect potentialtoxins, including bacteria inspoiled foods. Bitter recep-tors in the nose and upperrespiratory tract also detectbacteria and activateimmune responses. Thisstudy used cultured humanrespiratory epithelial cells to identify exactly how upperairway bitter receptors trig-ger an anti-bacterial defense. The research furtherrevealed that this defense is inhibited by sweettaste receptors also located in respiratory cells.Clinical studies showed that patients with chronicrhinosinusitis have elevated glucose levels in theirnasal secretions, suggesting that chronic activationof airway sweet receptors may inhibit the ability ofbitter receptors to defend against infection. Thefindings that bitter and sweet receptors in the air-way contribute to human respiratory immunity anddisease susceptibility reveal a potential novel ther-apeutic target for chronic rhinosinusitis, whichaffects 35 million Americans with a cost of $6 bil-lion each year. Lee, RJ, Kofonow, JM, Rosen, PL, Siebert,AP, Chen, B, Doghramji, L, Xiong, G, Adappa, ND, Palmer,JN, Kennedy, DW, Kreindler, JL, Margolskee, RF, & Cohen,NA. (2014). Bitter and sweet taste receptors regulate humanupper respiratory innate immunity. Journal of ClinicalInvestigation, 124, 1393-1405.

Reduced food intake and associated malnutritioncan negatively affect the long-term prognosis ofindividuals with cancer, autoimmune disorders,and chronic inflammatory diseases. Following upon previous findings that localized the immunesystem protein tumor necrosis factor (TNF) intaste buds, this study asked whether TNF directlyaffects taste. Mice engineered to be lacking theTNF gene (TNF knockout mice) had a deficit intheir ability to sense bitter taste. This suggests thatTNF regulates bitter taste in normal mice and thatelevated TNF levels associated with infection orinflammation may cause foods to taste more bitter.Specifically, TNF may act directly on the taste sys-tem to make sick people more sensitive to bitter-ness so that foods taste less appetizing. Feng, P,Jotaki, M*, Kim, A, Chai, J, Simon, N, Zhou, M, Bachmanov,AA, Huang, L, and Wang, H. (2015). Regulation of tasteresponses by tumor necrosis factor. Brain, Behavior, andImmunity, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2015.04.001.

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Nutrition & Metabolism

Fat has been a desired energy source for much ofhuman evolution, making the ability to detect fatvia sensory cues a potentially beneficial one. Thisstudy revealed that small changes in the fat contentof milk can be identified using the sense of smell.As food smell almost always is detected beforetaste, the findings identify one of the initial senso-ry qualities that signal whether a food contains fat.Innovative methods using odor to make low-fatfoods more palatable could someday aid publichealth efforts to reduce dietary fat intake. Boesveldt,S* & Lundström, JN. (2014). Detecting fat content of foodfrom a distance: Olfactory-based fat discrimination inhumans. PLoS ONE, 9, e85977.

Oral sensations, including taste, guide food selection and also play a role in determining howingested food is digested and metabolized. To better understand how taste influences dietary fatdigestion, this rodent study asked whether thepleasantness of a taste influences how quickly fatempties from the stomach into the intestines. Thefindings revealed that unpleasant tastes (such asbitter) slow gastric emptying of fat, therebydecreasing the amount of fat in the intestines. Apresumed consequence would be less intestinalabsorption of triglycerides – a type of fat associatedwith increased risk for stroke and heart disease –into the blood. These results suggest that it may bepossible to control blood triglyceride levels usingthe taste of food. Saitou, K., Lees, JN, & Tordoff, MG.(2014). Taste hedonics influence the disposition of fat bymodulating gastric emptying in rats. PLoS ONE, 9, e90717.

Healthy diets depend on a balanced intake of car-bohydrates, fat, and protein, known collectively asmacronutrients. When given a choice, mice selectappropriate quantities of each, but it is not knownhow taste genes contribute to this ability. This sur-vey of seven genetically distinct mouse strainsallowed mice to self-select their diets and revealedmarked differences in preferences: some strainswere strong fat-likers, others were strong carbohy-drate-likers and others ate equal amounts of thetwo. Additional experiments used molecular genet-ic techniques to examine the contribution of threetaste genes to macronutrient preference. Surpris-ingly, the sweet taste receptor does not appear to be involved in the preference for carbohydrates(which include sugars). Two other genes, known asITPR3 and CALHM1, play a role in fat preferenceand are the first single genes shown to contributeto preference of fat over carbohydrates. Tordoff, MG,Downing, A, & Voznesenskaya, A.* (2014). Macronutrientselection by seven inbred mouse strains and three taste-related knockout strains. Physiology & Behavior, 135, 49-54.

Chemical Communication & Ecology

Monell research has increased understanding ofhow chemical signals conveyed through body odorsprovide an important source of information aboutindividual identity and status for many species. Tobetter understand the mechanisms underlying dis-ease-related changes in body odor, this study usedtrained biosensor mice to differentiate the odor ofanimals vaccinated against either rabies or WestNile virus from non-vaccinated animals. Sincevaccination activates the immune system, the find-ings suggest that it is possible to use odors to detectimmune system status. This could permit non-invasive disease detection before the onset ofobservable symptoms. The findings also haveimplications for wildlife management practices, asodor-based signals of vaccination efforts andimmune activation could impact subsequent socialand reproductive behavior in target species. Thisstudy is part of Monell’s long-standing partnershipwith the USDA’s National Wildlife Research Center,which has maintained a field station at Monell forover 40 years. Over 200 studies have increasedknowledge about the biology and behavior of manyanimal and avian species to aid in effective man-agement of wildlife resources. Kimball, BA, Opiekun,M, Yamazaki, K, & Beauchamp, GK. (2014). Immunizationalters body odor. Physiology & Behavior, 128, 80-85.

Monell research recently identified earwax odorsas a source of information about an individual’sethnic origin. This study used analytical chemistrytechniques to examine the composition of volatileorganic compounds – odor chemicals – in earwaxof male donors of African, Caucasian, and Asiandescent. The findings revealed that earwax containsa complex mix of odor chemicals and that differ-ences in their relative amounts define the earwax‘odorprint’ of each ethnic group. A gene known toinfluence the quality of human underarm odor didnot influence the earwax odor chemical profile,suggesting that different biochemical pathwaysmust be involved generating in the two odorsources. Studies will continue to explore the poten-tial of human earwax as a source of personal infor-mation. Prokop-Prigge, KA*, Mansfield, CJ, Parker, MR*,Thaler, E, Grice, EA, Wysocki, CJ, and Preti, G. (2015)Ethnic/racial and genetic influences on cerumen odorantprofiles. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 41, 67-74.

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Development, Regeneration & Aging

Taste (and olfactory) cells regenerate across thelifetime and thus provide a valuable model forunderstanding stem cell biology and the mecha-nisms of cellular regeneration. Monell scientistsidentified the taste stem cell in 2013. The currentstudy established that when grown in a culturedish, this stem cell (identified by a marker knownas Lgr5) can generate all three types of functionaltaste cells, thus mimicking the process of taste celldevelopment that occurs naturally in taste buds. Thispaves the way for future studies to better understandtaste cell regeneration and how this process is regulat-ed in health and disease. Ren, W*, Lewandowski, BC*,Watson, J, Aihara, E, Iwatsuki, K, Bachmanov, AA, Margolskee,RF, & Jiang, P. (2014). Single Lgr5- or Lgr6-expressing tastestem/progenitor cells generate taste bud cells ex vivo. Proceed-ings of the Academy of Sciences USA, 111, 16401-16406.

The bitter taste of medicines presents a significantobstacle to ensuring that young children, who areunable to swallow encapsulated formulations, takethe medicines they need. Building on foundationalMonell research describing the unique sensorytaste biology of children, this study evaluated theeffectiveness of two reported bitter-blocking com-pounds in children and adults. Both bitter blockerswere less effective in children than in adults. Thefindings highlight the important role of biologicaldevelopment in understanding individual tasteexperiences and provide initial steps to designingevidence-based strategies to promote increasedadherence to medication regimens in children.Mennella, JA, Reed, DR, Roberts, KM, Matthew, PS, &Mansfield, CJ. (2014). Age-related differences in bitter tasteand efficacy of bitter blockers. PLoS ONE, 9, e103107.

Molecular Biology & Genomics

In humans, approximately 400 functional genescode for different types of specialized odor sen-sors, known as olfactory receptor proteins. Thereceptors combine to detect both quality andintensity of a large variety of odors, but exactly howthey work together is not well understood.Increasing the complexity of the problem, eachunderlying gene can vary slightly, resulting in oneor more variants for each of the receptors, and eachvariant responds to odors in a slightly differentway. The variants are distributed across individualssuch that nearly everyone has a unique combinationof olfactory receptors. To gain a better under-standing of the extent of olfactory receptor varia-tion and how this impacts human odor perception,this study combined molecular genetics, sensory testing, and mathematical modeling to predict thatthe olfactory receptor tuning of any two individuals

differs by over 30 percent. The findings provide acritical step towards understanding how olfactoryreceptors encode odor molecules and verify that weall do indeed live in unique sensory worlds.Mainland, JD, Keller, A, Li, Y, Zhou, T, Trimmer, C*, &Snyder, LL. (2014). The missense of smell: functional vari-ability in the human odorant receptor repertoire. NatureNeuroscience, 17, 114-1120.

Beginning with the 2005 study that revealed adefective sweet taste receptor gene in domestic andwild cats, Monell scientists have related taste func-tion of different species to their dietary niche. Theoverall goal is to increase understanding of the oraland extra-oral functions of the varied taste recep-tors. This study examined sweet taste function inthe giant panda, which differs from its relative thecarnivorous cat in that it feeds almost exclusivelyon (non-sweet) bamboo. Behavioral experimentsrevealed that the giant panda can taste sugar solu-tions but do not respond to most non-caloricsweeteners. Parallel approaches using panda DNAinserted into cultured host cells showed a similarresponse: the cells responded to sugars but not tomost non-caloric sweeteners, confirming that thegiant panda has a functional sweet taste receptor.The giant panda’s ability to detect sugars couldreflect an extra-oral function of the sweet tastereceptor related to digestion of plants. Jiang, P,Josue-Almqvist, J, Jin, X, Li, X, Brand, JG, Margolskee, RF,Reed, DR, & Beauchamp, GK. (2014). The bamboo-eatinggiant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) has a sweet tooth:behavioral and molecular responses to compounds that tastesweet to humans. PLoS ONE, 9, e93043.

Overconsumption of sugar is associated with obesi-ty and related health problems, leading global pub-lic health organizations to recommend that adultsand children reduce their daily intake of sugar.However, there currently is little understanding ofwhy people differ in their perception of sweet taste,making it difficult to develop successful evidence-based strategies to reduce sugar consumption. Thisstudy asked 754 sets of twins to rate the intensity oftwo natural sugars and two non-caloric sweeteners.Mathematical modeling reveled that genetic factorsaccount for approximately 30 percent of person-to-person variability in sweet taste perception. Under-standing the relative contributions of genetic andenvironmental factors that influence our percep-tion of sweetness should inform efforts to reducethe amount of sugars and sweeteners we consume.Hwang, L-D, Zhu, G, Breslin, PAS, Reed, DR, Martin, NG,and Wright, MJ. (2015). A common genetic influence onhuman intensity ratings of sugars and high-potency sweeten-ers. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 18, 361-367. 5

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Building on Basic: Transformative Opportunity

Continuing Monell’s emphasis on strong sci-entific leadership, Robert F. Margolskee, MD,PhD, assumed the position of Director onOctober 1, 2014. Dr. Margolskee succeededGary K. Beauchamp, PhD, who had led Monellwith great aplomb since 1990.

An internationally-recognized pioneer in the use of molecular biology to study cellularmechanisms of taste, Dr. Margolskee has beenresponsible for several major advances in thefield of taste biology, as well as for newer dis-coveries in the area of how the gut sensesnutrients. He joined Monell’s faculty in 2009and was appointed Associate Director in 2010.Prior appointments include positions at theMount Sinai School of Medicine, the Howard

Hughes Medical Instituteand the Roche Institute ofMolecular Biology.

As Monell prepares to mark its 50th anniver-sary in 2018, Dr. Margolskee’s vision inte-grates the Center’s unparalleled strength inbasic scientific discovery with the develop-ment of critical translational bridges toimprove human health. One key priority is to leverage Monell’s capabilities in multipleemerging scientific technologies and innova-tive expertise. A parallel goal focuses on further expanding Monell’s proficiency throughrecruitment of the best and the brightest sci-entists in the chemical senses and strategicdevelopment of global academic affiliations.

Global Academic Partnerships

Monell continues to enlarge its circle of formalpartnerships with academic institutions around theworld. These key partnerships bring valuablebreadth and depth to the Center’s research byexpanding its intellectual and technologicalresources and extending its geographic range.

This past year brought additional strength to Monellthrough the formalization of two new importantaffiliations:

• Building on Monell’s strate-gy of developing a stronginstitutional presence in Asia,the Center entered into acooperative agreement withthe Dental School of SichuanUniversity, a top-rankedChinese academic institution.This fall, a PhD candidatefrom Sichuan University willbegin predoctoral chemicalsenses research and trainingat Monell.

• Much closer to home, Monell formalized an affiliation with Drexel University’s Department ofCulinary Arts & Food Science. Food science and thechemical senses are closely intertwined and thispartnership brings the science of taste and smellinto food applications that affect appetite, healthand nutrition.

Current Academic Affiliations

Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, CHINA

Department of Culinary Arts & Food Science, DrexelUniversity Philadelphia, USA

Pavlov Institute of Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences St. Petersburg, RUSSIA

Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, BiomedicalSciences InstituteSINGAPORE

State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Sichuan UniversitySichuan, CHINA

Zhejiang Gongshang UniversityMonell-Zhejiang Gongshang Joint SensoryScience Laboratory Hangzhou, CHINA

Taste & Smell

Discovery Potential

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New Faculty – 2014

Noam Cohen, MD, PhDAdjunct Associate Member

As a physician-scientist, Cohen intermingles clinical and research perspectives to better under-stand the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusi-tis, leading to more effective treatments. A major

focus of his research is the rolethat taste receptors located

in the lining of the upperrespiratory tract play indefense against bacterialinfection.

Darren Logan, PhDAssistant Member

Bringing a strong technological background ingenetics and genomics, Logan’s broad researchgoal is to fully understand the hundreds of inter-

acting genes that enable olfactorysensory neurons to sense odor-

ants. Other studies search forgenes that underlie smelldisorders such as anosmia,as well as those that areaffected at the onset of dis-

eases with a strong olfactorycomponent, including Parkin-

son’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Marco Tizzano, PhDAssistant Member

Monell’s newest faculty member studies tastereceptors located in the cells lining our airways and what happens when those specialized cells areexposed to noxious chemicals and molecules

from pathogenic bacteria. AsTizzano unravels the result-

ing pathophysiologicalprocesses, the resultingknowledge may lead todrug targets for treatinginflammatory conditions

associated with respiratorydiseases.

Yuzo Ninomiya, PhDAdjunct Member

The preeminent taste neurophysiologist in Japan,Ninomiya uses electrophysiological and molecularbiology techniques to understand the cellular

coding mechanisms thatunderlie salty, umami

(savory), and sweet tastequalities. Other studiesexplore hormonal modulation of sweettaste, research with im-

plications for food intakeregulation, diabetes, and

other metabolic diseases.

“Monell’s fundamentalstrength and interdis-

ciplinary mentalityaugment my goal toadvance patient careby combining clinicalexpertise and biologi-

cal investigation.”

“At Monell, the com-bined technical expertise

and resources acrossevery aspect of the

chemical senses is phe-nomenal. Its sum truly isgreater than the sum of

its parts.”

“Monell is the world’s only institute where we can

study all aspects of chemo-reception, using interdisci-plinary basic research to linkgenetic and molecular dis-coveries to human sensory

perception and clinical translation.”

“Monell is the bestplace to do research onthe chemical senses,

period. Monell's facul-ty is comprised of thetop scientists in thefield; I couldn’t havechosen better col-

leagues.”

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Postdoctoral Fellows

Training

MSAP

15Paperspublished2Accepted

2.5 Average years at Monell

2 mos-5 yrs Time at Monell

11 Faculty mentors

18Post-doctoralfellows

17Presentations at scientific meetings

5 Supported by Monell’s NIH training grant

8Countries represented

2 Supported by their own NIH grants

6,499Visits to the MSAPapplication webpage

240+Applicationsreceived

19Studentsaccepted

89%From groupsunderrepresentedin the sciences

7Students supported by federal grants

1,050Estimatedmentorship hours

The RisingGeneration

Postdoctoral& VisitingScientists

The ComingGeneration

Monell ScienceApprenticeshipProgram

Building the FutureY o u

50+Applications

28Visiting scientists

15Different labs

110Average daysat Monell

Growing Scientific Leaders

Visiting Scientists

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4Philadelphia ScienceFestival events

14 Community events

165Hours30Monellians

Anosmia

AnosmiaAwareness

Education& Outreach

Outreach9School- focusedevents

>700%Increase in anosmicindividuals contactingMonell

43Tweets aboutanosmia

23Facebook postsabout anosmia

14Monell webpagesdedicated to anosmia

9,352Visits to anosmiapages on Monell’swebsite2,565

Video views 1

CME seminaron anosmia

5News storieswritten about Monelland anosmia

Growing Public Knowledge

3Monell videosproduced aboutanosmia

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Monell has been at the vanguard of successfulacademic-industry partnerships for almost 50years. Annual support from corporate mem-berships provides the Center with unrestrict-ed funds to support young investigators,explore new research ideas and maintainongoing scientific programs. Corporate spon-sors stimulate Monell scientists to imaginetheir basic research as it relates to real-worldproblems, which in turn fertilizes new basicresearch ideas and directions. At the sametime, the close partnership and dialog withMonell scientists helps corporate sponsorsbridge the large chasm between fundamentalresearch and successful biomedical and mar-ketplace innovation. 

Corporate Sponsorship

Corporate sponsors enjoy exclusiveaccess to Monell research expertise andunbiased cutting-edge scientific infor-mation via educational and consultingopportunities. This past year, Monellhosted two educational meetings forsponsor companies. The annual Reviewfor Sponsors showcased new researchfindings from across the Center. TheSpring Colloquium offered an in-depthexploration of Chemosensing Good andEvil, which focused on the science behindthe attraction to chemonsensory stimulilike sugars and the avoidance of odorsthat communicate disease.

Sponsors have the opportunity to fundcollaborative research projects involvingbasic research questions of mutual inter-est. In addition to individual researchprojects, Monell has two ongoingresearch consortia supported by multiplesponsors. One project investigates themolecular basis of salt taste and the otherexplores the nature of adaptation of classes of sweeteners.

Ajinomoto scientist Yusuke Ihara discusses researchfindings related to the genetics of individual differenceswith Monell neuroscientist Joel Mainland. This pastyear, three research scientists from sponsor companiesvisited the Center for research training in chemosensoryscience.

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2014-15

AB InBevAFB International Inc.Ajinomoto Co., Inc.Altria Group Asahi Group Holdings Ltd.Campbell Soup CompanyThe Coca-Cola CompanyColgate-Palmolive CompanyCoty Inc.Diageo, plcDiana IngredientsEstée Lauder Companies, Inc.Firmenich IncorporatedGeneral MillsGivaudan SAHeng Yuan Xiang China (Group) Co., Ltd.Ingredion Inc.International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.Japan Tobacco Inc.Johnson & JohnsonKao CorporationKellogg CompanyKerry Ingredients and FlavoursKeurig Green Mountain Inc.Kirin Holdings Company, Ltd.Kraft FoodsL’Oréal USA R&DMarsMcCormick & Company, Inc.Mead Johnson NutritionalsMegmilk Snow Brand Co. Ltd.Mondelez InternationalNu-Tek Food ScienceOgawa & Co. Ltd.PepsiCo, Inc.Procter & GambleProduce Marketing AssociationReckitt Benckiser, plcScentsy Inc.The Sugar Association, Inc.Suntory Holdings Ltd.SymriseTate & LyleTakasago International CorporationUnilever Research & DevelopmentWm. Wrigley Jr. Company

Monell Center Corporate Sponsors

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Taste & Smell

Discovery Solutions

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As a young attorney atDechert in the 1970s,Richard Berkman was intro-duced to Monell by his col-league F. Hastings Griffin, Jr.Over the years, Berkman has advised Monell on theCenter’s legal issues and in 2008, he became amember of Monell's Board of Directors. Deeplyinterested in how Monell's research translates toimprove health and quality of life, Berkman and hiswife Toni Seidl recently made a leadership gift tosupport new faculty, with the goal of cultivatingtomorrow's scientific leaders at Monell. As a directoutcome of their support and generosity, risingscientists Marco Tizzano and Darren Logan weresuccessfully recruited to the Center this past year.

T h a n k Y o u

Monell Circle ($1,000 +)James J. AlbrechtAmerican Library Association

Carnegie Whitney GrantMary E. BakThe Barra FoundationGary and Fay BeauchampRobert Bedoukian, Bedoukian

Research, Inc.Richard L. BerkmanMary BertinoDr. and Mrs. Jules BlakeJulian W. BoydenSusan W. CatherwoodThe Charter FoundationCarol ChristensenDavid Michael & CompanyGrant DuBoisRobert EilermanThe Charles E. Ellis TrustThe Franklin Institute STEM

Scholars ProgramEugene E. GarfieldBrenda GavinRobert W. HarkinsJohn and Teresa Hickey

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.

Dean Jerrehian, Jade YogaPhilip S. JohnsonThe Kaleidoscope

of Hope FoundationTakeshi KimuraPatricia KindMr. and Mrs. PeterKirchheimerJohn N. LabowsAlan I. LeshnerDale LowryWilliam J. LudlumThe Christopher Ludwick

FoundationShawn MarcellRobert F. MargolskeeMcCormick & CompanyDavid Jason MelaThe Ambrose Monell

FoundationKumiko NinomiyaYuzo NinomiyaJim and Shirley PuhlSam RaoDwight R. RiskeyThe Estate of George RoweGail E. Seygal

Rachel ShoreyLouise SladeLewis S. Somers, 4thAndrew SpielmanThe Subaru of America FoundationTakasago International CorporationRosalind WalterMr. and Mrs. Herbert WilsonHiroko YamazakiTomoko YamazakiWilliam N. Zeiger

Osama AhmedDavid AllisonGerald and Sandra AmbrozyAnonymousDonna AntonucciArthur and Carolyn AsburyAngelica AuAlexander BachmanovDoug L. BayleyAnne M. BelcherRaymond L. BendureCatherine E. BerglundGordon G. BirchLeslie BluhmJason BonkowskiPaul Breslin

Monell Center Donors 2014-2015

James Albrecht, long-time member ofMonell's International AdvisoryCommittee and retired executive fromMcCormick, has a passionate interest inmentoring young people. After meetingseveral of Monell’s outstanding post-doctoral fellows last spring, he asked ifhe could earmark a gift to support a new

fellow. The answer was a resounding yes and as aresult, Monell now welcomes Patrick Millet, a newpostdoctoral fellow working under the direction ofGary Beauchamp and Bruce Kimball to investigatethe use of body odor changes in disease detection.In recruiting Patrick, Beauchamp also interviewedanother excellent postdoctoral candidate, StephanieGervasi, whose skills and strengths are compli-mentary to Patrick's. She also will be joiningMonell’s postdoctoral program and will be fundedthrough the Center’s NIH training grant. In effect,Jim's original generous support has thus been dou-bled. Many thanks to Jim Albrecht for his partner-ship in Monell’s goal to recruit and train a newgeneration of scientists.

We gratefully recognize donationsreceived betweenJuly 1, 2014 andJuly 15, 2015.

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Monell Board ChairDwight Riskey andhis wife Cynthiarecently reaffirmedtheir commitment toMonell through a newleadership gift. Riskey began his career at Monellas a postdoctoral fellow before moving on tobecome a highly successful marketing executive inthe food and beverage industry. Over the years,Monell has been enriched by Riskey’s insightfulunderstanding of science and industry trends, aswell as by his generosity. The Riskeys’ gift supportsMonell's vision of adding one new faculty membereach year to our roster of principal investigators.Service to a nonprofit organization takes manyforms and is often referred to as "time, treasure,and talent" or "wealth, wisdom and work." DwightRiskey is one of the unique leaders at Monell whogives all three with great humor, enthusiasm, andgenerosity of spirit. 

Robert W. BryantRobert H. CaganMicah CalabreseWinston CervantesJinghua ChaiConnie ChangMary M. ChattertonDenise ChenPhilip and Mary Ann ChristensonAnthony CommessoJoan Marie CondonBeverly CowartCarol Fern CulhaneMary Kay CyngierPamela DaltonJonathan DavisAlan DepaoliJonathan DeutschJonathan DoliasKathleen DorriesMegan EnglandGisela M. EpplePu FengMimi FisherJane Leland and Rich FisherNigel FowleLila FrenchPaul Frail and Michelle Gallagher-FrailBarbara Glotzhober

Alfred E. GoossensDr. and Mrs. Richard L. HallNeil HammerstromRichard HasselbuschHello WorldElizabeth HickeyLiquan HuangJohn IversPeihua JiangLynda Johnson-KassKaren JulianSusan KareJohn S. KauerGarrianne KelleherDaniel and Deborah KnoxSusan KnoxScott and Megan KrizekMarilyn KruegerDonna M. KupniewskiHarry T. LawlessWeiwei LeiHarriet LembeckYan LiXia LiLloyd LoringLindsey LovingDaniel MalamudCharles H. ManleyMary Manning

Talia D. MartinRichard MattesAndrea MaynardRobert McGorrinDonovan McKenzieBill McLaughlinMichelle MicheliniTakenori MiyamotoMaurizio MorelloMaxwell M. MozellNanako MuraYuko MurataHajime NagaiMichael NaimRoss NicholsonMichelle Murphy-NiedzielaCoral NortonYukio OkadaKazumi OsadaLaura Lukasewycz OvertonValentina ParmaCharles PetersonJody Piltz-SeymourGeorge PretiEdmund A. PribitkinMatthew B. PriceIsrael RamirezKrystyna M. RankinDanielle Reed

Three students fromCamden NJ, includingIdalis Herrera (picturedhere presenting herresearch findings),attended the MonellScience ApprenticeshipProgram thanks to agrant from the Subaruof America Foundation.Many thanks also tofirst-time MSAP supporters The CharterFoundation and Eugene Garfield, and to RobertBedoukian, The Charles E. Ellis Trust, JohnLabows, the Christopher Ludwick Foundation,and the National Institutes of Health for theircontinuing support.

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Linda D. RheinAlbert RodsteinMark RomanoJoseph SalkowitzBob SherPamela SilbermanSlidemakersLindsey SnyderKi Yeoul SongLenore SteinmetzCharles N. StewartElizabeth Somers StutzmanSunil SukumaranKazumi TaniguchiHideki TatebaZabeth TeelucksinghNicholas M. TerminiChristopher and Anilet TharpTim and Jood ThompsonJenifer TrachtmanMr. and Mrs. John K.T. TranJoseph R. VasselliThomas VenanziRobert VentroneJan WaltersHong WangSally WestmorelandMr. and Mrs. David Lee WhaleyDon C. WilliamsMonica P. Winter

Colin WolfeJiang XuRieko YajimaDr. and Mrs. Yasushi YamamotoJennifer YorkDebra A. ZellnerYue-Hua Zhan

Matching Gift CompaniesAmazon Smile Foundation Colgate-Palmolive CompanyJohnson & JohnsonKraft FoodsThe Kresge FoundationLandon Butler & CompanyMerck Partnership for Giving

Consistent long-term support of the Monell CenterBelow we recognize individuals whohave given $25,000 or more overtheir lifetime and individuals whohave given at least once a year forthree or more consecutive fiscal years.

$25,000 - $99,999Todd AbrahamArthur and Carolyn AsburyDr. and Mrs. Jules Blake

Susan W. CatherwoodCarol ChristensenAl S. ClausiDr. and Mrs. Arnold E. DentonWilliam T. Golden*Robert GoldsteinRobert W. HarkinsDean Jerrehian, Jade YogaCarol KareJohn N. LabowsAlan I. LeshnerWilliam J. LudlumArnold ManheimerStephen Manheimer and Laure MoutetRobert F. MargolskeeMargy Ellin MeyersonDavid Michael & CompanyGail E. SeygalRosalind WalterWilliam N. Zeiger

$100,000 - $499,999James J. AlbrechtGary and Fay BeauchampJohn and Teresa HickeyBonnie Lou HuntPhilip S. JohnsonShaun F. O’Malley*Ghislaine H. PolakDwight R. Riskey

Monell Center Donors 2014-2015 Continued

Monell Events

Monell Leadership Transition

As Robert Margolskee assumed the title of Directorand President in October 2014, Monell celebratedthe leadership transition with a festive dinner forscientists, supporters and friends. Making theoccasion even more special was the announcementof $1 million in challenge gifts from board mem-bers Richard L. Berkman and Dwight Riskey. Thegifts, made in honor of Director Emeritus GaryBeauchamp, support new faculty recruitment in theareas of nutrition, taste, and olfaction. Pictured leftto right: Richard Berkman, Robert Margolskee,Gary Beauchamp and Dwight Riskey.

Life of Spice

Culinary historian CynthiaClampitt, Monell scientistGary Beauchamp, andMcCormick & Companyretired executiveMarianne Gillette broughtspices to life at Monell'sApril event with theGeographical Society of

Philadelphia. Short talks by the three expertsintroduced the history of spices, explored how theyexcite our senses, and revealed how their use in thekitchen can turn ordinary food into exotic cuisine.Afterwards, Monell scientists engaged guests ininteractive demonstrations during a special cateredreception that explored the unique sensory science behind spices.

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$500,000 + Richard L. BerkmanPatricia KindLouise SladeMr. and Mrs. Lewis S. Somers, III*

Three or More Consecutive Years of SupportJames J. AlbrechtGerald and Sandra AmbrozyAnonymousArthur and Carolyn AsburyMary E. BakDoug L. BayleyGary and Fay BeauchampRobert BedoukianRaymond L. BendureRichard L. BerkmanMary BertinoDr. and Mrs. Jules BlakeJulian W. BoydenRobert W. BryantJinghua ChaiDenise ChenCarol ChristensenBeverly CowartPamela DaltonRobert EilermanGisela M. EpplePu Feng

Dr. and Mrs. Richard L. HallLiquan HuangPeihua JiangSusan KarePatricia KindMarilyn KruegerDonna M. KupniewskiJohn N. LabowsHarriet LembeckXia LiWilliam J. LudlumDaniel MalamudRobert F. MargolskeeRichard MattesDavid Jason MelaMaxwell M. MozellYuko MurataKumiko NinomiyaYuzo NinomiyaKazumi OsadaValentina ParmaGeorge PretiMatthew B. PriceIsrael RamirezKrystyna M. RankinDanielle ReedDwight R. RiskeyJoseph SalkowitzGail E. SeygalLouise Slade

Lindsey SnyderAndrew SpielmanCharles N. StewartHideki TatebaNicholas M. TerminiChristopher and Anilet TharpMr. and Mrs. John K.T. TranThomas VenanziHong WangMr. and Mrs. David Lee WhaleyDon C. WilliamsMonica P. WinterJiang XuDebra A. Zellner

*deceased

To make a gift to Monell, please con-tact Jenifer Trachtman, Director ofDevelopment, at 267-519-4715 orjtrachtman@monell.org. Visitwww.monell.org/giving to make asecure online contribution. Everyeffort has been made to ensure theaccuracy of these lists. If we haveinadvertently misspelled or omittedyour name, please accept our apolo-gies and notify Jenifer Trachtman.

George Rowe Memorial

On May 18th, Monell host-ed a memorial service forlong-time board memberGeorge Rowe, Jr., whopassed away on August 14,2014. Rowe was deeply

involved in Monell activities from the time ofits inception in 1968 and for the following 36years. Enthusiastically providing advice and guid-ance on all issues – fiscal, administrative and

scientific – Rowe had a lively and insightful interestin the Center’s research and scientists. Monell waspleased to welcome three of George's children –John, Julia, and Katharine – and their extendedfamilies for the service. Also attending were Rowe’snephews Benjamin and Stephen Warnke, membersof Monell’s Board and International Advisory Council,and colleagues and co-workers. Many in attendanceoffered affectionate remembrances. Others who wereunable to attend – including Gene Grisanti, AmbroseMonell, and Richard Menschel – sent tributes thatwere read at the service by Gary Beauchamp. It wasa lovely tribute to a true Monell friend, colleague, andadvisor. Pictured are John Rowe and Katharine Rowe.

Meyerson Lecture

Monell hosted the4th Martin Meyerson Lecture on September 30,2014. Named in memory of Monell Board ChairMartin Meyerson and made possible through a giftfrom Margy Ellin Meyerson, the lecture bringspreeminent speakers to Monell to present cuttingedge scientific insights. The 2014 speaker, RichardWrangham, PhD, is Ruth B. Moore Professor ofBiological Anthropology at Harvard University.

Taste & Smell

Discovery YOU

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Faculty

Alexander Bachmanov, PhD, DVMGary Beauchamp, PhDPaul Breslin, PhDBeverly Cowart, PhDPamela Dalton, PhD, MPHLiquan Huang, PhDPeihua Jiang, PhDBruce Kimball, PhDDarren Logan, PhDGraeme Lowe, PhDJohan Lundström, PhDJoel Mainland, PhDRobert Margolskee, MD, PhDIchiro Matsumoto, PhDJulie Mennella, PhDMarcia Pelchat, PhDGeorge Preti, PhDDanielle Reed, PhDJohannes Reisert, PhDAmos B. Smith, III, PhDMarco Tizzano, PhDMichael Tordoff, PhDHong Wang, PhDPaul Wise, PhD

Adjunct Faculty

Noam Cohen, MD, PhDYuzo Ninomiya, PhD

Emeritus Faculty

Joseph Brand, PhDGisela Epple, PhDAlan Gelperin, PhDJohn Teeter, PhDCharles J. Wysocki, PhD

Research Associates

Nataliya Bosak, PhDBruce Bryant, PhDMichele Dibattista, PhDPu Feng, PhDGlen Golden, PhDCristina Jaén, PhDBrian Lewandowski, PhDCailu Lin, PhDJie Ma, MD, PhDBedrich Mosinger, MD, PhDM. Hakan Ozdener, MD, PhD, MPHValentina Parma, PhDCatherine Peyrot des Gachons, PhDSunil Kumar Sukumaran, PhDJiang Xu, MDKaren Yee, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellows

Nuala Bobowski, PhDMasafumi Jotaki, PhDWeiwei Lei, PhDMakoto Ohmoto, PhDRachel Poole, PhDYumei Qin, PhDWenwen Ren, PhDDavid Scheiblin, PhDAmanda Soohoo, PhDShingo Takai, PhDCasey Trimmer, PhDMridula (Meera) Vinjamuri, PhD

Affiliated Scientists

Larry Clark, PhDUSDA National Wildlife ResearchCenter

Marta Yanina Pepino de Gruev, PhDWashington University School ofMedicine

Jennifer O. Fisher, PhDTemple University

Catherine A. Forestell, PhDCollege of William & Mary

Masashi Inoue, DVMTokyo University of Pharmacy andLife Sciences

Richard D. Mattes, PhDPurdue University

Stuart McCaughey, PhDMedical School of Indiana-Ball StateUniversity

Yuko Murata, PhDNational Research Institute ofFisheries Science, Japan

Edmund Pribitkin, MD, FACSThomas Jefferson University Hospital

Dmitry “Dima” Rinberg, PhDNYU Neuroscience Institute

Louise Slade, PhDFood Polymer Science Consultancy

Andrew I. Spielman, DMD, PhDNew York University College ofDentistry

Jillian Trabulsi, PhDUniversity of Delaware

Vera Voznessenskaya, PhDRussian Academy of Sciences

Haiqing Zhao, PhDThe John Hopkins University

Vasily A. Zolotarev, PhDRussian Academy of Sciences

Administration

Robert F. Margolskee, MD, PhDDirector & President

Carol M. Christensen, PhDDirector, Institutional Advancement

David Gabl, MST, CPAController

Donna KupniewskiDirector, Facilities Management

Maureen O’Leary, PhDDirector, Technology Transfer

Hilary O’NeilResearch Grants and ContractsSpecialist

Tara Redmond, MBAHuman Resources & EmployeeBenefits Manager

Greg ShafferSenior IT Manager

Leslie J. Stein, PhDDirector, Science Communications

Jenifer Trachtman, MBADirector, Development

John K.T. Tran, MS, CRADirector for Finance &Administrative Services

Staff

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Total Revenues$15,224,955

Total Expenses$15,218,623

77.45%Research Programs

17.44% Administration

5.11% Fundraising

Federal Grants 41.39%

37.41% Corporate Sponsors

Philanthropy 15.26%

Others* 5.94%

* Others include: PA State grant,contributed services, honoraria,interest income, patent incomeand rent income.

The Monell Chemical Senses Center was founded in 1968through the generosity of the Ambrose Monell Foundation,which invested $1 million in "a great experiment." As theCenter built its reputation as the only independent institutedevoted to fundamental research in the chemical senses,the National Institutes of Health (NIH) quickly becameMonell's principal source of funding.

Over the last twelve years, NIH funding has declined bymore than 18 percent in constant dollars, impacting theentire US scientific community. During this time, Monellmaintained a balanced portfolio of revenue through twoadditional critical pillars of support: unrestricted fundsfrom corporate sponsors and donations from individualsand foundations. The Monell Foundation remains theCenter's largest private donor. As federal funding contin-ues to shrink, philanthropic gifts from individuals areincreasingly important to maintain Monell's mission toadvance discovery in taste and smell and their impact onhuman health, nutrition and well-being.

Financials

Join Us Online!Monell sends occasional emails and newsletters tokeep you informed all year long. Join the list today byvisiting www.monell.org and clicking on the topright hand corner. Email allows us to stay in touchwith you while keeping our planet greener and main-taining low administrative costs.

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Monell Chemical Senses Center

3500 Market StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104

www.monell.org

Building on Basic

MONELL CENTERADVANCING DISCOVERY IN TASTE AND SMELL

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