ScientificMatch

Smellementary, my dear

By CHRISTINE LIU

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Most epiphanies don't necessarily begin with stinky tees, but for Eric Holzle, founder and president of ScientificMatch, they inspired a new futuristic platform for online dating. Watching educational television one night, the NEU-alum mechanical engineer learned about a curious scientific study. The report proved that women rated the most attractive-smelling shirts as those previously worn by men with the most different MHC profiles from them (MHC being six genetic reference points that define your immune system, equally contributed from both mother and father). The shirt-smelling test further correlated that MHC-dissimilar couples experience happier and healthier long-term relationships. "It hit me like a ton of bricks," says Holzle. It does makes sense in a way—a wider range of immunity genes provides for a more disease-defensive offspring—. And thus pheromone and attraction studies, primarily relegated to zoology ("pig farmers use it to promote breeding of lifestock," he says), are beginning to pick up for humans.

At ScientificMatch, where you fork over a couple thousand dollars and a DNA sample, the matchmaking process takes a vaguely GATTACA turn. The one-time cost (it's a lifetime membership) covers both DNA analysis and a background check to unearth any past felonies and verify age, marital status and bankruptcy history. Once your MHC profile is defined, only members whose MHC differs completely from yours are available to peruse; any others are virtually invisible from view. "It's the opposite of social networking and closer to off line matchmaking," Holzle explains. "We filter and boil [the candidates] down to meet that one criteria."

The site's approach appears extreme, but the science points to something scarily real. Couples with differing MHC score all kinds of benefits including better sex life overall, higher rates of orgasms for women and a much lower chance of female cheating. Plus, lovers can bask in the succulent natural odors of their chemically compatible mates (Old Spice can stuff it). Along with the alignment of core fundamental values, "[MHC] is one piece of the entire puzzle of attraction, but it's a critical piece," Holzle says. Although you can rock the DIY version of this—cease bathing and woo whoever manages to gravitate toward your pit stains—sometimes it's best to just leave it to the pros.

[50 percent promotional price of $995 for users who register during February 2008, $1,995.95 standard lifetime membership. scientificmatch.com]