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  • RESEARCH BRIEFINGS

How an odour molecule activates a human odorant receptor protein

Our sense of smell enables us to perceive a universe of odours. Cryo-electron microscopy has provided an atomic-resolution picture of how an odour molecule is recognized by one of the hundreds of odorant receptors encoded in the human genome, providing a first view into the chemical logic of olfaction.

This is a summary of: Billesbølle, C. B. et al. Structural basis of odorant recognition by a human odorant receptor. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-05798-y (2023).

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00439-w

‘Expert opinion’ is published under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

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