Category Archives: nanotechnology

‘Nano-oscillator’ explores border between classical physics and quantum physics

This news comes from Italian researchers according to a January 29, 2025 National Institute of Optics (Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, CNR-INO) press release, also on EurekAlert,

An article published in the scientific journal Optica describes the development of a new experimental device that explores the boundary between classical and quantum physics, allowing the simultaneous observation and investigation of phenomena from both worlds. The instrument was developed in Florence and is the result of collaboration within the extended partnership of the National Quantum Science and Technology Institute (NQSTI), involving the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Florence, the National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council (CNR-INO), as well as the European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy (LENS) and the Florence branch of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN).

It is well known that the study of matter, as we progress to increasingly smaller scales, shows radically different behaviors from those observed at the macroscopic scale: this is where quantum physics comes into play, helping to understand the properties of matter in the world of the infinitely small. While these phenomena have been studied separately until now, the instrument developed by CNR-INO researchers allows for the experimental exploration of matter’s behavior from both perspectives.

The device takes advantage of the phenomenon of levitating nano-objects within a tightly focused laser beam, that is, the surprising ability of light to “trap” individual microscopic particles, a phenomenon first observed in the 1980s and further refined, in particular, by the American physicist Arthur Ashkin, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018.

The Italian team, led by Francesco Marin (University of Florence and CNR-INO), has applied this technique to simultaneously trap, using beams of light of different colors, a pair of glass nanospheres. Within the optical trap, these spheres oscillate around their equilibrium point with very specific frequencies, allowing for the observation of both “classical” and “quantum” behaviors, the latter often being decidedly counterintuitive.

“These nano-oscillators are among the rare systems in which we can investigate the behavior of macroscopic objects in a highly controlled manner,” says Marin. “The spheres are electrically charged and interact with each other, so the trajectory followed by one sphere is strongly dependent on the other. This opens the way for the study of collectively interacting nanosystems in both the classical and quantum regimes, thus allowing the experimental exploration of the subtle boundary between these two worlds.”

The study is also made possible thanks to the support of two initiatives financed by the Ministry of University and Research with European Union funds as part of the #NextGenerationEU program (PNRR – National Recovery and Resilience Plan): the “National Quantum” partnership Science and Technology Institute” (NQSTI) and the “Integrated Infrastructure Initiative in Photonic and Quantum Science” (IPHOQS) infrastructure.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Coulomb coupling between two nanospheres trapped in a bichromatic optical tweezer by Q. Deplano, A. Pontin, A. Ranfagni, F. Marino, and F. Marin. Optica Vol. 11, Issue 12, pp. 1773-1777 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.538760

This paper is open access.

Powerful tool for coastal oil spill cleanup? Paper examines nanomaterial remediation studies

A February 4, 2025 news item on ScienceDaily announces an analysis (meta analysis) of over 40 studies into using nanomaterials for cleaning up pollution,

Cleaning up after a major oil spill is a long, expensive process, and the damage to a coastal region’s ecosystem can be significant. This is especially true for the world’s Arctic region, where newly opened sea lanes will expose remote shorelines to increased risks due to an anticipated rise in sea traffic.

Current mitigation techniques even in heavily populated regions face serious limitations, including low oil absorption capacity, potential toxicity to marine life and a slow remediation process.

However, advances in nanotechnology may provide solutions that are more effective, safer and work much faster than current methods. That’s according to a new paper in Environmental Science: Nano by a Concordia-led team of researchers.

A February 4, 2025 Concordia University news release (also on EurekAlert) by Patrick Lejtenyi, which originated the news item, delves further into the topic, Note: Links have been removed,

“Using nanomaterials as a response method has emerged as a promising sustainable approach,” says lead author Huifang Bi, a PhD candidate in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science.

“This paper synthesizes, reviews and analyzes between 40 and 50 studies on the subject to give us a big-picture look of the status of nanotechnologies in coastal oil spill response. At the same time, we are also presenting our own suggestions and identifying research gaps between using nanomaterials in the lab and how they can be used in real-world applications.”

She adds that nanomaterials are being widely studied to combat marine oil spills, but she is focusing specifically on coastline remediation. She estimates that more than 90 per cent of the papers she reviewed were exclusively lab-based and not yet available for field use.

Encouraging results need field testing

The unique properties found in nanomaterials can help mitigation across different remediation efforts. These include surface washing agents, dispersants, sorbents and bioremediation. Each method has its own strengths and drawbacks that can be improved with the use of nanomaterials.

For instance, replacing synthetic surfactants and organic solvents with bio-based nanomaterials has shown to be both highly effective at removing oil and to produce less toxic substances that can harm coastal biotas.

Nanomaterials can also be used in dispersants. Clay-based nanomaterials can stabilize oil particles in an emulsion, resulting in a larger area for oil-eating bacteria to grow and accelerating oil disappearance. In sorbents like aerogels or foams, nanomaterials can improve the removal of oil from water by absorption, adsorption or a combination thanks to large surface areas and a high number of sorption sites.

Finally, they can also be used to accelerate bioremediation, a technique that uses microorganisms to break down harmful pollutants like oil into less harmful or harmless substances.

“While these lab-based results are encouraging, we need to exercise caution,” warns Bi, winner of a 2023 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. “We should prioritize the use of sustainable and eco-friendly nanomaterials to minimize environmental risks and ensure the responsible application of nanotechnology in coastal oil spill response. We also need to scale up testing to measure this efficacy in field tests.”

According to Bi’s thesis supervisor Chunjiang An, an associate professor in the same department, the emergence of nanomaterials as oil spill remediation tools is coming at a critical time.

“We are facing many new challenges, with threats of oil spills now affecting both traditional and new regions, including the Arctic,” he says. “We need to work with governments and the private sector to ensure that they are aware of these technologies and can further include them in their future remediation guidelines.”

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Nanotechnology for oil spill response and cleanup in coastal regions by Huifang Bi, Catherine N. Mulligan, Kenneth Lee, Baiyu Zhang, Zhi Chen and Chunjiang An. Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2025,12, 41-47 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EN00954A First published: 18 Nov 2024

This paper appears to be open access.

Cellulose-based wound sutures

Caption: Advancing Surgical Sutures: The Promise of Cellulose-Based Materials. Credit: CAS Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials, Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, System Integration Engineering Center, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China

A January 22, 2025 Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts news release on EurekAlert announces a review of cellulose-based (including nanocellulose) wound sutures,

A recent review published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts examines the state of cellulose-based sutures, focusing on materials, fabrication methods, and application performance. The study underscores the potential of these sutures as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional synthetic sutures, with significant advancements in biocompatibility and biodegradability.

Surgical sutures are critical in wound closure and healing, with traditional materials like cotton and synthetic polymers dominating the market. However, the rise of sustainable and biocompatible materials has led researchers to explore cellulose-based sutures as a viable alternative. A comprehensive review published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts provides an in-depth look at the current state of cellulose-based sutures, their fabrication methods, and potential applications.

Cellulose, the most abundant natural polymer on Earth, offers several advantages for surgical sutures, including non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and mechanical strength. The review covers various types of cellulose-based sutures, including natural cellulose, nanocellulose, and regenerated cellulose. Each type offers unique properties, with nanocellulose showing particular promise due to its high strength and flexibility. For instance, cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) have been used to create sutures with tensile strengths comparable to traditional materials, while maintaining excellent biocompatibility.

The review also highlights innovative fabrication methods such as wet spinning and interfacial polyelectrolyte complexation (IPC) spinning. Wet spinning is a traditional method used to create strong and flexible fibers, while IPC spinning allows for the creation of composite fibers with enhanced properties. These methods enable the production of sutures with tailored mechanical properties, biodegradability, and antibacterial characteristics.

One of the key challenges identified in the review is the need for consistent quality and improved biocompatibility in cellulose-based sutures. While natural cellulose fibers like cotton have been used historically, their quality can vary, leading to inconsistent performance. In contrast, nanocellulose and oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) offer more uniform properties and can be engineered for specific applications. For example, ORC sutures have demonstrated significant biodegradability, losing over 50% of their strength within 14 days, making them suitable for absorbable sutures.

The review also emphasizes the importance of multifunctional sutures that integrate antibacterial properties and growth factors to enhance wound healing. For instance, CNF/chitosan composite sutures have shown excellent antibacterial activity against common pathogens like Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, while maintaining high cell viability in vitro and in vivo.

Looking ahead, the review suggests that cellulose-based sutures could become the next generation of high-end medical sutures, driven by advancements in materials science and a growing focus on sustainability. Future research should focus on optimizing fabrication processes, enhancing mechanical properties, and conducting clinical trials to validate their performance.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Cellulose-based suture: State of art, challenge, and future outlook by Meiyan Wu, Lei Ding, Xiaoying Bai, Yuxiang Cao, Mehdi Rahmaninia, Bing Li, Bin Li. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts Available online 15 December 2024 In Press, Corrected Proof DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2024.11.006

This paper is open access.

Stay warm with smart fabric that can heat up by 30°C after 10 minutes exposure to the sun

Presumably this material would be used for clothing worn in much colder climates than what we experience in the Pacific Northwest where even during the winter a hike of 30°C would have you sweating like a pig.

A January 23, 2025 news item on phys.org announces the latest news about the fast-heating smart fabric,

A new type of cloth developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo [Ontario, Canada] can heat up when exposed to the sun thanks to innovative nanoparticles embedded in the fabric’s fibers. This advance represents an innovative and environmentally friendly option for staying warm in the winter.

A demonstration of how stretchy the smart fabric is. The fabric can stretch out by as much as five times its original shape. (University of Waterloo)

A January 23, 2025 University of Waterloo news release, which originated the news item, delves further into heated winter clothes and their latest collaborative research, Note: A link has been removed,

Wearable heated clothing typically relies on metals or ceramic heating elements to heat up and an external power source, which could pose safety risks for users.

This new cloth incorporates conductive polymer nanoparticles that can heat up to 30degrees Celsius when exposed to sunlight. The design requires no external power and can also change colour to visually monitor temperature fluctuations.

“The magic behind the temperature-sensitive colour change lies in the combination of nanoparticles embedded in the polymer fibres,” said Yuning Li, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and part of the research team that includes Chaoxia Wang and Fangqing Ge from the College of Textile Science and Engineering at Jiangnan University in China.

“The nanoparticles are activated by sunlight, enabling the fabric to absorb heat and convert it into warmth.”

The fibre is created using a scalable wet-spinning process, combining polyaniline and polydopamine nanoparticles to enhance light absorption and improve photothermal conversion. Thermoplastic polyurethane serves as the spinning matrix, while thermochromic dyes enable the reversible color-changing feature. The resultant fiber can be woven into fabric for wearable applications.

n addition to its temperature-changing capability, the Waterloo researcher’s new fabric can stretch out by as much as five times its original shape and withstand as much as two-dozen washings while still maintaining its function and appearance. Its reversible colour-changing ability provides a built-in temperature monitoring feature to ensure the wearer’s safety and convenience.

“We prioritized durability, ensuring the fabric could withstand repeated use and environmental exposure while maintaining its innovative properties,” said Li.

The Waterloo team is exploring more cost-effective alternatives to polydopamine to make the smart fabric technology more accessible. Future developments will focus on scaling the production process and reducing costs without compromising on the fabric’s innovative properties.

The fabric’s potential applications include aiding in cold rescue situations and solar-powered pet clothing to help keep them comfortable when outside during the winter.

The study was recently published in the Journal of Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Color tunable photo-thermochromic elastic fiber for flexible wearable heater by Fangqing Ge, Jun Peng, Jialing Tan, Weidong Yu, Yuning Li, & Chaoxia Wang. Journal of Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials Volume 7, article number 173, (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114-024-00994-4 Published: 11 October 2024

This paper is behind a paywall.

For some earlier work from this international collaboration, I have a November 1, 2024 posting about energy harvesting fabric.

Create silver nanoparticles with goji berries

Caption: An illustration of the preparation of goji berries for silver nanoparticle synthesis. Credit: Kamran Alam et al.

A January 7, 2025 news item on Nanowerk announces new research into making silver nanoparticles in a more sustainable fashion, Note: Links have been removed,

As the search for sustainability permeates all fields, researchers are turning to a unique organic source for creating antibacterial silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) – the humble goji berry.

Goji berries are a ubiquitous superfood known for a multitude of health benefits, including their antibiotic properties. In research published in AIP Advances (“Ecofriendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles using metallic solution-based goji berry extract for their antibacterial properties”), researcher Kamran Alam from Sapienza University of Rome [Italy] along with others from NED University of Engineering and Technology [Pakistan] and King Saud University [Saudi Arabia] found an effective way to harvest silver nanoparticles from these berries.

“Silver nanoparticles are responsible for disrupting the cell membrane structure, which can generate reactive oxygen species used for inhibiting bacterial growth,” explained Alam.

A January 7, 2025 American Institute of Physics news release (also on EurekAlert), which originated the news item, delves further into this sustainable technique,

Silver nanoparticles can be generated using a number of chemical techniques, but green solutions that use biological sources like fruit or leaf extracts are preferred because they save on energy and are nontoxic, nonhazardous, and biologically compatible with humans.

In this interdisciplinary undertaking, Alam and researchers demonstrated a technique for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using store-bought goji berries.

“Goji berries are easily and locally available in the botanic garden and are rich in bioactive compounds that have natural reducing and stabilizing agents, eliminating the need for additional capping agents during processing,” Alam said.

Alam and the team created silver nanoparticles by drying, grinding, and then filtering the goji berries to create an extract. Then, they added chemical silver nitrate (AgNO3) and reduced the solution.

Using visualization techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectroscopy, and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy, the team confirmed the presence of silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were also viewed under a microscope and tested for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, a gram-positive bacterium that causes staph infections among other diseases.

In the future, Alam plans to study the cellular toxicity and biocompatibility of the nanoparticles synthesized from these berries, which could positively contribute to biomedical research.

“This is a simple and straightforward synthesis method which does not need additional chemicals or complex equipment and can be scaled up for industrial applications,” he said.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Ecofriendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles using metallic solution-based goji berry extract for their antibacterial properties by Abdul Rauf Jamali, Waseem Khan, Salahuddin Khan, Ahmed Ahmed Ibrahim, Kamran Alam. AIP Advances 15, 015107 (2025), Volume 15, Issue 1, January 2025 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0237276

This paper is open access.

‘SWEET’ (smart, wearable, and eco-friendly electronic textiles)

I always appreciate a good acronym and this one is pretty good. (From my perspective, a good acronym is memorable and doesn’t involve tortured terminology such as CRISPR-Cas9, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated protein 9).

On to ‘SWEET’ and a January 2, 2025 news item on ScienceDaily announcing a new UK study on wearable e-textiles,

A research team led by the University of Southampton and UWE Bristol [University of the West of England Bristol] has shown wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) can be both sustainable and biodegradable.

A new study, which also involved the universities of Exeter, Cambridge, Leeds and Bath, describes and tests a new sustainable approach for fully inkjet-printed, eco-friendly e-textiles named ‘Smart, Wearable, and Eco-friendly Electronic Textiles’, or ‘SWEET’.

A January 2, 2025 University of Southampton press release (also on EurekAlert), which originated the news item, describes e-textiles and how this latest work represents a step forward in making them environmentally friendly,

E-textiles are those with embedded electrical components, such as sensors, batteries or lights. They might be used in fashion, for performance sportwear, or for medical purposes as garments that monitor people’s vital signs.

Such textiles need to be durable, safe to wear and comfortable, but also, in an industry which is increasingly concerned with clothing waste, they need to be kind to the environment when no longer required.

Professor Nazmul Karim at the University of Southampton’s Winchester School of Art, who led the study, explains: “Integrating electrical components into conventional textiles complicates the recycling of the material because it often contains metals, such as silver, that don’t easily biodegrade. Our potential ecofriendly approach for selecting sustainable materials and manufacturing overcomes this, enabling the fabric to decompose when it is disposed of.”

The team’s design has three layers, a sensing layer, a layer to interface with the sensors and a base fabric. It uses a textile called Tencel for the base, which is made from renewable wood and is biodegradable. The active electronics in the design are made from graphene, along with a polymer called PEDOT: PSS. These conductive materials are precision inkjet-printed onto the fabric.

The researchers tested samples of the material for continuous monitoring of human physiology using five volunteers. Swatches of the fabric, connected to monitoring equipment, were attached to gloves worn by the participants. Results confirmed the material can effectively and reliably measure both heart rate and temperature at the industry standard level.

Dr Shaila Afroj, an Associate Professor of Sustainable Materials from the University of Exeter and a co-author of the study, highlighted the importance of this performance: “Achieving reliable, industry-standard monitoring with eco-friendly materials is a significant milestone. It demonstrates that sustainability doesn’t have to come at the cost of functionality, especially in critical applications like healthcare.”

The project team then buried the e-textiles in soil to measure its biodegradable properties. After four months, the fabric had lost 48 percent of its weight and 98 percent of its strength, suggesting relatively rapid and also effective decomposition. Furthermore, a life cycle assessment revealed the graphene-based electrodes had up to 40 times less impact on the environment than standard electrodes.

Marzia Dulal from UWE Bristol, a Commonwealth PhD Scholar and the first author of the study, highlighted the environmental impact: “Our life cycle analysis shows that graphene-based e-textiles have a fraction of the environmental footprint compared to traditional electronics. This makes them a more responsible choice for industries looking to reduce their ecological impact.”

The ink-jet printing process is also a more sustainable approach for e-textile fabrications, depositing exact numbers of functional materials on textiles as needed, with almost no material waste and less use of water and energy than conventional screen printing.

Professor Karim concludes: “ Amid rising pollution from landfill sites, our study helps to address a lack of research in the area of biodegradation of e-textiles. These materials will become increasingly more important in our lives, particularly in the area of healthcare, so it’s really important we consider how to make them more eco-friendly, both in their manufacturing and disposal.”

The researchers hope they can now move forward with designing wearable garments made from SWEET for potential use in the healthcare sector, particularly in the area of early detection and prevention of heart-related diseases that 640 million people (source: BHF [British Heart Foundation]) suffer from worldwide.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Sustainable, Wearable, and Eco-Friendly Electronic Textiles by Marzia Dulal, Harsh Rajesh Mansukhlal Modha, Jingqi Liu, Md Rashedul Islam, Chris Carr, Tawfique Hasan, Robin Michael Statham Thorn, Shaila Afroj, Nazmul Karim. Energy & Enviornmental Materials DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eem2.12854 First published: 18 December 2024

This paper is open access.

Fragrance design using deep neural networks (DNNs)

A December 31, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily announces work from Japanese researchers on fragrance design,

Scientific research explores the potential of DNNs [deep neural networks] in transforming fragrance design. By analyzing the sensing data of 180 essential oils, the DNN was trained using the odor descriptor data from 94 essential oils to generate fragrance profiles, validated through sensory evaluations to align with human olfactory perceptions. The study underscores the technological ability to streamline fragrance creation, reduce costs, and foster innovation, opening up exciting possibilities for personalized and scalable scent development.

Caption: DNNs can transform fragrance design by predicting and creating novel scents from chemical data, ushering in a new era of digital scent creation. Credit: Institute of Science Tokyo

A January 9, 2025 Institute of Science Tokyo press release (also on EurekAlert but published December 31, 2024), which originated the news item, delves further into the topic of digitizing the sense of smell, Note: A link has been removed,

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have become an essential driver of innovation across various industries, from healthcare to manufacturing. By analyzing large datasets, identifying patterns, and making precise predictions, DNNs are transforming the way we approach complex tasks. One such area where DNNs are making a remarkable impact is in the digitalization of smell, a field traditionally dominated by human expertise and sensory evaluations. However, a recent study aims to revolutionize this practice by exploring how DNNs can assist in fragrance design.

Moreover, an odor reproduction technique has been developed, enabling a wide variety of scents to be generated by varying the mixing ratio of a small set of odor components. These odor components are prepared by blending essential oils used in the analysis.

A research team led by Professor Takamichi Nakamoto from the Laboratory for Future Interdisciplinary Research of Science and Technology (FIRST), Institute of Integrated Research (IIR), Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, published their research in Scientific Reports on December 28. This study was driven by the growing need for more efficient and innovative methods of fragrance creation. The study aimed to quickly make the intended scent without trial and error, leveraging DNNs to predict odor profiles based on multidimensional sensing data.

Nakamoto explains “We hypothesized that the DNNs when integrated with chemistry and sensory science could offer new insights into fragrance development. We conducted the study by analyzing mass spectrometry data from 180 essential oils, providing a comprehensive understanding of their odor components. These data were then used to train a DNN designed to predict odor descriptors from the odor-component composition. The DNN employed multiple layers optimized to capture the intricate relationships between its compositions and the resulting scents.” To improve the model’s accuracy and generalization, the team augmented the data with random mixtures of essential oil spectra and introduced noise, ensuring the model could adapt to real-world complexities. Once the DNN model generated the odor-component compositions, human evaluators assessed the DNN- generated scents alongside reference oils.

The DNN achieved the highest accuracy in predicting the odor descriptor “floral” and lower accuracy for the descriptor “woody”. Sensory testing further confirmed the effectiveness of the model, as human panelists found that the DNN-generated oils using odor components were more similar to the reference oils than those with added odor descriptors. These findings highlight the system capability to accurately replicate existing fragrance profiles and, in some cases, generate entirely new combinations.

The study demonstrates numerous benefits, like DNN can significantly reduce the time and costs involved in fragrance development by streamlining both chemical analysis and sensory evaluations. Additionally, DNN makes fragrance creation scalable, allowing it to adapt to diverse market preferences and consumer demands. Most notably, the use of DNN opens up innovative possibilities by enabling the generation of new and unique scent profiles that might not have been discovered through traditional methods.

Looking to the future, the implications of this study are profound. “As DNN models continue to evolve, they could enable the creation of personalized fragrances tailored to individual preferences. Additionally, this approach could be extended to other sensory domains, such as taste, where similar methods could be used to craft personalized flavor profiles,” shares Nakamoto.

By combining DNNs, chemical analysis, and sensory testing, the study emphasizes the potential to replicate and innovate within the fragrance industry. With its ability to enhance efficiency and creativity, a revolution in fragrance design is expected, ushering in a new era of innovation.


About Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo)

Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) was established on October 1, 2024, following the merger between Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) and Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), with the mission of “Advancing science and human wellbeing to create value for and with society.”

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Automatic scent creation by cheminformatics method by Manuel Aleixandre, Dani Prasetyawan & Takamichi Nakamoto. Scientific Reports volume 14, Article number: 31284 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82654-7 Published: 28 December 2024

This paper is open access.

Olfactory ethics

Smell is a very charged topic as I learned almost 20 years ago when working on a master’s programme on creating writing and digital technology via distance education. I had innocently suggested that we include the sense of smell when looking at immersive technology.

One of the members in our group of three ‘blew up’. As someone who had led the Irish teams involved in Microsoft’s multimedia efforts, he asserted his superior understanding of multimedia and narrative. Never one to go away quietly, I persisted, as did the other member of our group, in the discussion.

The whole thing culminated in three projects where our ‘expert’ colleague titled his project ‘STFU’. It was a several minute video diatribe starting with the words ‘shut the …’ You can probably fill in the blanks.

It seems that smell is a very charged topic when applied to creative writing and/or literature. Amelia Louks, research supervisor in English literature at the University of Cambridge, writes about her experience with smell and literature in a December 16, 2024 essay on The Conversation, Note: Links have been removed,

In November [2024], I celebrated finishing my PhD. After three and a half years of writing and research, it was an occasion I wanted to share with my academic network, so I posted a photo of myself holding a physical copy of my PhD thesis on X. The post amassed 120 million views and sparked a lot of anger in response to its title: Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose.

The title received criticism from those who were wilfully misrepresenting the nature of the research. “Smells are racist,” became a misguided refrain. One user commented that it was a study of “why it’s racist and/or classist to not like it when people exhibit body odors consistent with poor hygiene”.

My thesis studies how certain authors of the past century used smell in literature to indicate social hostilities, such as prejudice and exploitation. It also connects this to our real-world understanding of the role the sense plays in society.

For instance, in The Road to Wigan Pier (1936), George Orwell states that “the real secret of class distinctions in the West” can be summed up in four frightful words: “The lower classes smell.” Orwell proceeds to unpick the harm that this kind of messaging causes and how we might combat it.

It is well documented that smell has been used as a justification for expressions of racism, classism and sexism. Since the 1980s, researchers have been assessing the moral implications of perceptions and stereotypes related to smell.

My thesis adds to this work by assessing the contributions of a selection of books and films that take smell seriously. In each of the texts I considered, smell takes on a role beyond mere sense perception.

I include examples from well-known works by George Orwell, Vladimir Nabokov, J.M. Coetzee and Toni Morrison, as well as notable recent examples, such as Bong Joon-ho’s film, Parasite.

Sheena Goodyear’s December 5, 2025 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) article based on the interview conducted with Louks for the CBC/s As It Happens radio programme delves further into Louks’ experience with posting about her PhD and how she responded to the barrage,

When Ally Louks posted last week that she was “PhDone” with her English literature thesis, she didn’t expect to find herself at the centre of a culture war.

Louks posted a picture of herself on X, formerly known as Twitter, smiling proudly and holding a bound copy of her University of Cambridge thesis on the “politics of smell” in literature. 

One week later, the seemingly innocuous post has been viewed 117.1 million times, made headlines around the world, and put Louks on the receiving end of plenty of praise but also heaps of hate, including a rape threat that’s now under investigation by police.

“I couldn’t possibly have anticipated that this post would even go beyond my little academic community on Twitter of about 200 people,” Louks told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. 

At the heart of the backlash is the title of Louks’s thesis, visible in the photo: “Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary Prose.”

CBC reviewed dozens of comments on the post, many from men saying the topic was too “woke,” or a waste of time and money. Others suggested women don’t belong in academia.

“What a stupid f–king thing to ‘study,'” wrote one person. 

“You have made no valuable contributions in your thesis, and perhaps in your entire life,” wrote another. 

“You would have spent your years better by getting married and having children,” someone else posted.

Louks says she doesn’t take it personally. 

“I do think that it’s clear that misogyny is at play [emphasis mine], especially since I’m a young and high achieving woman,” she said.

“But I also think there’s a kind of broader arc here going on about people questioning the value of literary study and of the humanities and, indeed, of academia [emphases mine].”

Louks says she decided not to lock her account or take the post down. She also isn’t squabbling with commenters.

“I didn’t want them to think that they’d chased me off or that they’d affected me in any way because they truly haven’t,” she said. “I do feel safe.”

he barrage of hate, she says, was quickly followed by a surge of support. 

“This has been a bit of a case study in how we present ourselves online,” she said.

“Being polite and respectful has actually done something kind of magical here in that so many people have rallied around me and supported me just because I didn’t stoop to the level of the online trolls.”

May you experience the freedom to explore even topics that seem obscure.