Corpse flowers and malodorous compounds

Putricia began unfurling around 1pm on Thursday January 23, and Thurn collected samples every two hours from 4pm until midnight, continuing the next day from midday until 10pm. She described the initial scent as “a combination of old laundry, a bakery, and sulphur,” but by day two, it had evolved into “a much more musky and aged smell, more like cheese.”

The corpse flower’s ability to mimic the smell of rotten meat is a fascinating adaptation, evolved to attract insects for pollination. Human decomposition odours are also shaped by complex biological processes.

“I want to see if the compounds from the flower overlap with the ones I’ve identified in my research and, if so, how they compare,” Thurn said. Samples are collected using sorbent tubes connected to small vacuum pumps, which trap volatile compounds for later analysis in the lab.

Each year, UTS researchers conduct a large-scale disaster recovery exercise, together with defence, police and emergency services, at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER). This includes carefully controlled decomposition studies using human donors. 

“We cover the donors with rubble to mimic disaster conditions and collect odour samples over one to two weeks,” Thurn said. “The results are crucial for refining detection methods. We’re the only group conducting disaster trials like this, so our research is filling a major gap.”