The Monell Chemical Senses Center was founded in 1968 as the world’s first non-profit scientific institute devoted exclusively to basic research on the chemical senses: taste, smell, and chemosensory irritation. Research at Monell contributes to a wide range of scientific and practical knowledge. With more than fifty Ph.D.-level scientists, the Center is making major progress toward understanding how the chemical senses function and their importance in everyday life. The Center is located in the University City area of Philadelphia.
At Monell, world-class scientists are unlocking some of the most fundamental mysteries of what makes us human. How do we use our chemical senses to communicate? What are the cellular underpinnings of taste and smell that contribute to the difference between lifelong health and chronic disease? How do our chemical senses shape human nutrition? Which genes are responsible?
Monell’s long-standing interdisciplinary model was itself a scientific experiment when the Center was founded more than 45 years ago. Today, Monell remains a nexus where outstanding scientists from many disciplines work together to focus on a common objective: understanding the mechanisms and functions of taste and smell and how these senses relate to human health. The Center’s integrated research approaches range from basic molecular biology to behavioral neuroscience, from cellular biology to comparative ecology, from analytical chemistry to clinical work with human patients.
