American Institute of Physics Aug 19 2025 Our sense of smell is more important than we often realize. It helps us enjoy food, detect danger like smoke or gas leaks, and even affects memory and emotion. Many people - especially after COVID-19, aging, or brain injury - suffer from a loss of smell. However, there are very few effective treatments, and those that exist often use strong scents or medicines that cause discomfort in patients. In a study published this week in APL Bioengineering , by