NORMAN, OK – Scientists at the University of Oklahoma have found a way to neutralize skunk odor.
Most people that have had the misfortune of coming in contact with a skunk know how much of a pain it is to get rid of the smell. You would think that the research to find this neutralizer would have started with a bad encounter, but that’s not really the case.
Professor Robert Cichewicz says the find actually started with cancer research, using soil sent to Oklahoma University from Alaska from a member of the citizen science program.
“Well along the way, we encountered this new molecule – it’s called pericosine,” he explains. “We found the fungi we’re using it for defensive purposes to block noxious chemicals in the environment.”
The university started thinking of things that people find unpleasant and stinky.
Skunks were one of the first that came to mind.
When the professor talked about home remedies to kill skunk smell he said,”Tomato juice is one of them, really doesn’t work,” Cichewicz said. “It just makes your dog smell like tomato skunk.”
But his new invention actually neutralized the skunk smell, safety. Now the next step is to find a way to incorporate the new found molecule into a product like a spray.
