README
======

Dataset title:
Data for: Cyphers and cycles – a chemical basis of the differential attraction of mosquitoes to human odor

Recommended Citation:  
Annika Hinze, Anaïs Karine Tallon, Betelehem Wondwosen, Mengistu Dawit, Sharon Rose Hill, Björn Bohman, Rickard Ignell (2026). Cyphers and cycles – a chemical basis of the differential attraction of mosquitoes to human odor [Data set]. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. https://doi.org/10.5878/vh3n-xm78

See the Researchdata.se catalogue entry for this dataset - accessible via the DOI link above - for complete metadata, including the dataset description, contact information and information about how to obtain the dataset. 

Responsible organization:
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

Description: Anthropophilic mosquitoes, such as the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, not only exhibit a robust host preference for humans, but are also known to favor certain individuals over others, which has been attributed to variations in individual body odor. The underpinning chemical drivers, however, remain largely unidentified. Here, we assessed the differential attractiveness of 42 female participants to host-seeking Ae. aegypti, demonstrating that pregnancy or menstrual cycle phase significantly contributed to the individual level of attractiveness. Chemical and electrophysiological analyses of whole body odor samples identified 27 volatile organic compounds potentially involved in regulating the level of human attractiveness to mosquitoes. Behavioral assays further demonstrated that 1-octen-3-ol – present in the body odor of highly attractive participants and pregnant individuals – and the overall blend ratio of volatile organic compounds are sufficient to modulate mosquito preferences. Our findings suggest that multiple chemical motifs contribute to the heterogeneity in human attractiveness to mosquitoes. 

License: Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication (CC0 1.0).

Access restrictions: None. Data are openly accessible.



Dataset organization
--------------------

README.txt
humandata_relamounttargetVOCs.csv
2choice_doseresponse.csv
2choice_increase1octen3ol.csv
2choice_vhighlowaverage.csv
2choice_27vsOmondi.csv



Datafile descriptions
----------------------

This dataset contains five individual files containing information on: 
(1) Participant data and the relative amount of the selected 27 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the human odor samples collected from each participant (humandata_relamounttargetVOCs.csv)
(2-5) Behavioral data of the four two-choice assays testing different synthetic human odor blends (2choice_doseresponse.csv, 2choice_increase1octen3ol.csv, 2choice_vhighlowaverage.csv, 2choice_27vsOmondi.csv). Note that trials with no or just one mosquito responding were removed.

(1) 
humandata_relamounttargetVOCs.csv (38 columns, 42 rows)
Columns:
  participantID		ID of the participant (factor, 42 levels)
  RAI_test1		relative attractiveness index (RAI), trial 1
  RAI_test2		RAI, trial 2
  RAI_test3		RAI, trial 3
  RAI_mean		mean RAI
  attlevel		assigned attractiveness level, according to the mean RAI (factor, 4 levels)
  bloodgroup		ABO blood type of the participant, if known (factor, 5 levels)
  hormonalcontraception	use of hormonal contraception (factor, 3 levels)
  age [years]		age of the participant at the day of the experiment
  week_cycle		week of the menstrual cycle or pregnancy (factor, 6 levels)
  butylac		relative amount of butylacetate
  limonene		relative amount of limonene
  octanal		relative amount of octanal
  sulcatone		relative amount of sulcatone
  X1hexanol		relative amount of 1-hexanol
  X3octanol		relative amount of 3-octanol
  nonanal		relative amount of nonanal
  X1octen3ol		relative amount of 1-octen-3-ol
  decanal		relative amount of decanal
  X2nonanol		relative amount of 2-nonanol
  benzaldehyde		relative amount of benzaldehyde
  linalool		relative amount of linalool
  acetophenone		relative amount of acetophenone
  aterpineol		relative amount of alpha-terpineol
  phenol		relative amount of phenol
  apinene		relative amount of alpha-pinene
  bpinene		relative amount of beta-pinene
  heptanal		relative amount of heptanal
  dodecane		relative amount of dodecane
  pcymene		relative amount of para-cymene
  X2e1hexanol		relative amount of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol
  E2nonenal		relative amount of E2-nonenal
  X1octanol		relative amount of 1-octanol
  menthol		relative amount of menthol
  X1decanol		relative amount of 1-decanol
  X1dodecanol		relative amount of 1-dodecanol
  geranylacetone	relative amount of geranylacetone
  nmethylaniline	relative amount of n-methylaniline

(2) 
2choice_doseresponse.csv (6 columns, 129 rows)
In test trials, this experiment tested a synthetic human odour blend in different concentrations ("target") against the solvent control ("non-target").
Columns:
  trialtype		control or test trial (factor, 2 levels)
  ID_target		content of the target (empty or different dilutions of the synthetic human odor blend; factor, 5 levels)
  ID_nontarget		content of the non-target (empty or solvent pentane; factor, 2 levels)
  target		number of mosquitoes in the trap of the target (target in contol trials: empty; target in test trials: blend of interest, which in this case is increasing amounts of the blend)
  nontarget		number of mosquitoes in the trap of the non-target (non-target in control trials: empty; non-target in test trials: the solvent pentane)
  PI			preference index calculated as number of mosquitoes in the target arm, divided by the total number of mosquitoes entering both arms

(3)
2choice_increase1octen3ol.csv (6 columns, 39 rows)
In test trials, this experiment tested a synthetic human odour blend spiked with 1-octen-3-ol ("target"; "inc1oct3ol") against the same blend without spiked 1-octen-3-ol ("non-target"; "27blend").
Columns: 
  trialtype		control or test trial (factor, 2 levels)
  ID_target		content of the target (empty or synthetic human odor blend with increased relative amount of 1-octen-3-ol; factor, 2 levels)
  ID_nontarget		content of the non-target (empty or “normal” blend; factor, 2 levels)
  target		number of mosquitoes in the trap of the target
  nontarget		number of mosquitoes in the trap of the non-target
  PI			preference index calculated as number of mosquitoes in the target arm, divided by the total number of mosquitoes entering both arms

(4) 
2choice_vhighlowaverage.csv (7 columns, 109 rows)
In test trials, this experiment tested either 
(1: 'experiment' = "27vhigh_27low") a blend based on the odour extracts of very highly attractive individuals ("target"; "27vhigh") against a blend based on the odour extracts of individuals of low attractiveness ("non-target"; "27low"),
(2: 'experiment' = "27low_27average") a blend based on the odour extracts of individuals of low attractiveness ("target"; "27low") against the average blend ("non-target"; "27blend"), or
(3: 'experiment' = "27vhigh_27average") a blend based on the odour extracts of very highly attractive individuals ("target"; "27vhigh") against the average blend ("non-target"; "27blend").
Columns:
  experiment		experiment type (factor, 3 levels): “27vhigh_27low” -> synthetic human odor blend adapted to match the odor profile of very highly attractive participants vs. blend adapted to match the odor profile participants with low attractiveness; “27low_27average” -> synthetic human odor blend adapted to match the odor profile of participants with low attractiveness vs. the average synthetic human odor blend (also “27blend”); “27vhigh_27average” -> synthetic human odor blend adapted to match the odor profile of very highly attractive participants vs. average blend (also “27blend”)
  trialtype		control or test trial (factor, 2 levels)
  ID_target		content of the target (empty or synthetic human odor blend)
  ID_nontarget		content of the non-target (empty or synthetic human odor blend)
  target		number of mosquitoes in the trap of the target
  nontarget		number of mosquitoes in the trap of the non-target
  PI			preference index calculated as number of mosquitoes in the target arm, divided by the total number of mosquitoes entering both arms

(5) 
2choice_27vsOmondi.csv (6 columns, 54 rows)
In test trials, this experiment tested a synthetic human odour blend ("target"; "27blend") against the another synthetic human odour blend ("non-target"; "15blend").

Columns:
  trialtype		control or test trial (factor, 2 levels)
  ID_target		content of the target (empty or synthetic human odor blend developed in this study, “27blend”; factor, 2 levels)
  ID_nontarget		content of the non-target (empty or synthetic human odor blend developed by Omondi et al., “15blend”; factor, 2 levels)
  target		number of mosquitoes in the trap of the target
  nontarget		number of mosquitoes in the trap of the non-target
  PI			preference index calculated as number of mosquitoes in the target arm, divided by the total number of mosquitoes entering both arms