Sarasota, FL -- Smell and taste play essential roles in our daily lives. The chemical senses serve as important warning systems, alerting us to the presence of potentially harmful situations or substances, including gas leaks, smoke, and spoiled food. Flavors and fragrances are also important in determining what foods we eat and the commercial products we use. The pleasures derived from eating are mainly based on the chemical senses. Thousands of Americans experience loss of smell or taste each year resulting from head trauma, sinus disease, normal aging and neurological disorders, such as brain injury, stroke and Alzheimer's disease. By providing a better understanding of the function of chemosensory systems, scientific and biomedical research is leading to improvements in the diagnoses and treatment of smell and taste disorders.

Among those contributing to advancements are members of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS), which will be holding its 29th annual meeting in Sarasota, FL, April 25-29, 2007. In Sarasota, scientists are presenting their latest research findings on topics ranging from molecular biology to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of smell and taste disorders. The 2007 meeting is featuring presentations of new research findings, special symposia, and workshops (see Program Summary) sponsored by AChemS, corporations, and the National Institutes of Health. On Wednesday, April 25th, at 10:00 A.M., AChemS members will present an educational outreach program for local elementary and high school students at the GWIZ Science Center.

Additionally, there will be nine, special-subject symposia and two workshops. Throughout the five-day meeting there will be over 500 research presentations by AChemS scientists from around the world (for details see Complete List of Abstracts).