Development of Synthetic Pheromones
One of the co-discoverers of human pheromones and developer of synthetic human pheromones is Dr. Winnifred Cutler. In 1986, Dr. Cutler's research established proof that human pheromones affect relationships between men and women. It was after this discovery that Dr. Cutler founded her research institute, which was called the Athena Institute. Several years later, in 1993, she took human pheromones one step further. Dr. Cutler developed and marketed a synthetic pheromone known as Athena Pheromone 10:13. The pheromone is a copy of one given off by "sexually attractive" women in their twenties and it is a colorless, odorless liquid women can wear to attract men. The pheromone proved to be successful and Dr. Cutler and the Athena Institute marketed more synthetic pheromones, including Athena Pheromone 10X for men. More detailed information about the uses of these synthetic pheromones is discussed under the Use of Synthetic Pheromones part of this web site. (http://www.athenainstitute.com/messages/whatisathena.html)
The development of other synthetic pheromones, such as those used for pest control, is growing at an extremely rapid rate. The chemical composition of insect pheromones are very well understood and scientists have been able to produce synthetic pheromones with the same chemical structure. It would be ridiculous for me to try and name and draw every insect pheromone known to man, but I will give a few basic examples of their chemical makeup below. Simple changes to the structures, such as adding a double bond, conjugation, cyclic rings, or changing the positions of the atoms can completely change the pheromone into a new pheromone. That is what leads to the E and Z pheromones and the differences between dienes and trienes, etc. Other pheromones include nitrogen in their structure, making them amides. For a more complete list of pheromone chemistry, see Insect Pheromones and Their Use in Pest Management, 1998, 136-180.
