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Abstract:
Although it is agreed that physico-chemical features of molecules determine their perceived odor, the rules governing this relationship remain unknown. A significant obstacle to such understanding is the high dimensionality of features describing both percepts and molecules. We applied a statistical method to reduce dimensionality in both odor percepts and physico-chemical descriptors for a large set of molecules. We found that the primary axis of perception was odor pleasantness, and critically, that the primary axis of physico-chemical properties reflected the primary axis of olfactory perception. This allowed us to predict the pleasantness of novel molecules by their physico-chemical properties alone. Olfactory perception is strongly shaped by experience and learning. However, our findings suggest that olfactory pleasantness is also partially innate, corresponding to a natural axis of maximal discriminability amongst biologically relevant molecules.
| Limitations: |
 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE |
| Description: |
Final rept. 6 Jul 2004-5 Jul 2007 |
| Pages: |
42 |
| Report Date: |
01 Nov 2009 |
| Contract Number: |
W911NF-04-1-0321 W911NF0410321 |
| Report Number: |
A093815 |
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