Sensory performance and microbial ecology: olfaction and the nasal microbiome in West Papua

Olfactory performance and nasal microbial composition are shaped by complex interactions among biological, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Further, emerging research suggests that traditional environments may support both sensory function and microbial health, but empirical evidence remains limited. Here, we assessed olfactory and microbial health in a West Papuan population with an additional focus on environmental context (varying degrees of modernization) and subsistence practices (hunter status). Participants from Dani tribe of West Papua from three locations (town outskirts, village, jungle) completed olfactory testing and provided nasal microbiome samples. Alpha and beta diversity analyses did not reach statistical significance for any of the tested variables, suggesting that overall community richness, evenness, and structure were broadly conserved across groups. In contrast, within-population analyses revealed some lifestyle-associated patterns: hunters exhibited higher nasal bacterial abundance and slightly higher odor identification scores than non-hunters. Olfactory performance did not differ significantly by place of residence. Across all three sites, participants exhibited broadly comparable and markedly low odor threshold and identification score. Our findings underscore the complexity of olfactory-microbiome relationships and contribute to a better understanding of factors contributing to microbial and sensory health. The absence of statistically significant differences in alpha and beta diversity across tested variables suggests relative stability of overall nasal microbial community structure; however, limited sample size or inter-individual variability may have reduced power to detect small or localized effects.