Invisible Material: The Art and Science of Flavor

First presented at 16th Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium, held in Philadelphia, USA, from August 17–21, 2025

Presenters

Jessica Gaby (Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro TN USA)
Lena Trost (Ph.D. Student in Fine Arts, Bauhaus-University Weimar; Instructor of Art and Philosophy and Project Director, IKKG, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Höhr Grenzhausen, Germany)
Adam Sageser (Certified Sommelier and Wine Educator, Redneck Wine Company, Tampa FL USA)
Sean Raspet (Cofounder of Patina, a fragrance molecule design startup, New York NY USA)
Robert Pellegrino, Postdoctoral Fellow, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia PA USA

Description

In this playful and explorative workshop we explore the intersection of olfaction, flavor, and artistic perception. Though we know that individual differences in the chemical senses can impact our perception of flavor, less work has examined how this might impact creative expression in other sensory modalities. Come enjoy hands-on experiences to investigate differences and similarities in perception across taste, smell, and visual information. Participants will learn about olfactory imagery, creation of new flavor molecules, and how individual differences in the chemical senses can impact our sensory experiences, then smell new odor molecules and common compounds that influence flavor perception in wine. The session includes a wine tasting, where participants will discover key flavor notes, experience crossmodal modulation of flavor, and draw their sensory impressions of the wines. We will end with a discussion of how these crossmodal interactions can be applied to practical applications, such as food packaging and presentation.