A mouse’s nose can smell & feel the air: IISER study

Using advanced imaging and genetic tools, the researchers discovered that a specific group of inhibitory neurons in the olfactory bulb, the brain’s first processing hub for smell, is responsible for detecting air movement

A mouse’s nose can not only smell but also sense the movement and pressure of air. A fascinating new study led by Nixon Abraham from the department of biology at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune shows that the brain combines both chemical and mechanical signals from the nose to create a complete sense of smell.

Ph D student and first author of the study, Sarang Mahajan, explained that they trained mice to differentiate between airflows. (HT)

Published on October 8, 2025 in the journal, Science Advances, the study was supported by the DBT-Wellcome India Alliance and the department of science and technology (DST), Government of India, with core IISER Pune grants and student fellowships.

Abraham said, “Our findings show that the olfactory system does not just process chemical information from odours but also integrates mechanical information from air movements inside the nasal cavity. In essence, the nose acts as a dual sensor: one that can both smell and feel the air.”

Using advanced imaging and genetic tools, the researchers discovered that a specific group of inhibitory neurons in the olfactory bulb, the brain’s first processing hub for smell, is responsible for detecting air movement.

Abraham said that the discovery offers a new way of thinking about the sense of smell. “This work provides the first experimental proof that the olfactory circuits can act as ‘anemo-detectors’, sensing air through the nose. It opens a new way of thinking about smell as a multimodal experience, combining both chemical and physical information,” he said.

“We also discovered that changing the activity of these neurons affected how quickly the mice could learn airflow-based tasks. When inhibition was increased, learning slowed down and when inhibition was reduced, the mice learned faster. Interestingly, the opposite effect was seen when the mice were trained on smell-based tasks,” said Mahajan.

Furthermore, the team found that pairing faint odours with air movement helped the mice detect smells more quickly. This means that airflow actually improves the brain’s ability to sense weak odours; a feature that could help animals navigate their environment where smells are carried by the moving air.

According to the researchers, the discovery could have wide-ranging implications. In neuroscience, it could deepen understanding of how breathing patterns affect our sense of smell, for instance, during illnesses that block nasal airflow. In technology, it could inspire bio-inspired sensors that detect chemicals more effectively under changing air conditions.

Abraham said that the study highlights the value of interdisciplinary science. “This work bridges behaviour, physiology, genetics, and neuro-engineering. By combining these disciplines, we can uncover fundamental mechanisms of perception that were previously hidden,” he said.