Making sense of smell and taste

Dr Jonathan M. Bonello presented a paper at the National Chemistry Symposium held earlier this month giving an overview of flavour and fragrance chemistry.

Dr Bonello attended Stella Maris College, Malta, and the International School of Geneva, Switzerland, obtaining his International Baccalaureat in 1990. He then studied at the University of Surrey, UK, and the Ecole de Chimie, Polymeres et Matériaux in Strasbourg, France and obtained a First Class Honours B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1994.

After two years working in the Chemical Development Division of Firmenich SA, a Swiss multinational company in the business of aroma chemicals and formulations for the flavour and fragrance industry, Dr Bonello worked towards a Ph.D. in 'Fundamental Aspects of Enantioselective Catalysis at Metal Surfaces' at the Department of Chemistry and King's College, Cambridge, UK. The results have contributed significantly to the topic and are published in leading journals.

Dr Bonello obtained his Ph.D. and was admitted as a Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC) in 2001. He is currently working with Firmenich SA (2002 sales: $2 billion) as purchasing manager, responsible for sourcing, negotiation and the supply chain of all raw materials and intermediates used in the production of flavour and perfumery chemicals at the Firmenich SA plants in Europe.

Dr Bonello's presentation reviewed the flavour and fragrance industry today, reflecting the wide range of chemical, natural and synthetic expertise required, paying close attention to the subtle molecular chemistry involved in the stimulation of the senses of smell and taste. The origin, design of perfumery chemicals and flavours, their chemical synthesis and their use in modern perfumery and food was discussed and demonstrated.