# The perception of odor blends and mixtures: Modulation, Inhibition and Enhancement of Olfactory Receptors alters perception of complex blends

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE · 2020 · $202,500

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This application seeks to take advantage of a unique opportunity to obtain significant amounts
of human nasal tissue form recent CV-19 positive post mortems. Working with the Columbia
University Medical Center Pathology Department and an ENY surgeon tissue is being recovered
from post mortem procedures performed within 24 hours of death. We currently have 20
tissue samples of OE (attached to cribiform plate) and OB, in fixative and refrigerated or flash
frozen. At the outset of the pandemic spread of the virus there were initially anecdotal, but
now well quantified, reports of sudden anosmia and dysgeusia (likely a result of the anosmia)
appearing 2-4 days before onset of the documented respiratory and fever symptoms of CV19.
Although not all cases of CV19 experience the anosmia, all anosmias eventually became
positive for CV19. The sense of smell is reportedly recovered in all surviving patients but
requires 4-6 weeks post infection, long after other viral symptoms have resolved. The
appearance of anosmia in the absence of respiratory symptoms – both before and after the
disease time course, is of special interest as it differs significantly from hyposmias experienced
during other respiratory illnesses. We will utilize human post mortem tissue to investigate,
with advanced microscopy techniques and tissue preparation, several possible causes for this
mysterious anosmia – including cell loss, tissue degeneration, cilia loss, vascular abnormalities,
immune response comorbidities, and direct viral infection.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10201117
- **Project number:** 3R01DC013553-06A1S1
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE
- **Principal Investigator:** Stuart J Firestein
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $202,500
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2014-07-15 → 2024-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10201117

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10201117, The perception of odor blends and mixtures: Modulation, Inhibition and Enhancement of Olfactory Receptors alters perception of complex blends (3R01DC013553-06A1S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10201117. Licensed CC0.

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