Making sense of our senses — the receptor revolution

Every moment, our bodies are quietly decoding the world around us. A sip of coffee, the scent of rain, the subtle sweetness of ripe fruit — each begins the same way, with a molecule meeting a receptor. Our bodies — especially our noses and tongues — are covered with these microscopic receptors, which act as highly selective sensors, translating the chemistry of the outside world into signals our brain can understand.

This is what we call ‘receptor biology’, and it is remarkably powerful.  With just a few hundred types of smell receptors and a smaller set of taste receptors, the human body can perceive an almost limitless range of flavors and scents. For more than 20 years, our world-leading scientists have been decoding these interactions, unlocking the secrets of perception and turning molecular insights into real-world innovations.

One way in which receptor biology making a difference is in our Taste, Texture & Health Business, where it underpins sweetness modulators, umami enhancers, bitter blockers, cooling agents, and more. These play a central role in helping consumers make healthier food and beverage choices without having to compromises on taste.

Symphony of senses

Imagine trying to play a piece of music with fewer than a quarter of the notes available to you: that is the challenge faced by scientists in this field over the past two decades. Humans possess ~400 different types of olfactive receptors; however, until recently, scientists have only been able to work with ~70 of those in the lab.

This all changed in late 2024, when scientists made a revolutionary technical breakthrough: we can now work with — and explore — nearly all 400, enabling us to replicate the full symphony of our senses for the first time. This makes it possible to better understand how ingredients interact with a wide range of receptors, unlocking a plethora of breakthrough possibilities. For instance, we can significantly boost ingredient discovery, optimize formulation to make food more delightful, or find new ways to block bad sensations. 

Blocking the bad 

Receptors contain highly specialized ‘binding sites’, which are just the right shape for certain molecules to fit inside, leading to a signal being sent to the brain. You can think of this as being similar to how a key only fits inside a certain lock.

By creating ingredients with similar structures to these ‘key’ molecules, we can block receptors from receiving a signal, preventing bad odors and undesirable tastes. This is already central to key breakthroughs across our businesses.

• In our Taste, Texture & Health business unit, one example comes from our Novasense® BEER toolbox, where our receptor-biology knowhow is used to block the grainy and worty notes commonly found in non-alcoholic beers. By reducing these undesirable sensory attributes, Novasense® refresh helps deliver a cleaner profile and a more enjoyable drinking experience.

• Similarly, in our Perfumery & Beauty business, such blocking underpins our clearsense® technology. This combines blocking with chemical interactions to ensure deodorant is effective, to keep our homes smelling fresh, and even to neutralize bad breath odors.

• And, this is making a difference in our Health, Nutrition & Care business unit, too. ModulaSENSE® Marine applies receptor-based technology to block fishy off-notes in our sustainable life’s™OMEGA micro-algal solutions, improving their palatability.

One way in which receptor biology making a difference is in our Taste, Texture & Health Business, where it underpins sweetness modulators, umami enhancers, bitter blockers, cooling agents, and more. These play a central role in helping consumers make healthier food and beverage choices without having to compromises on taste.