Geosmin 

(/dʒiˈɒzmɪn/ jee-OZ-min) is an irregular sesquiterpene, produced from the universal sesquiterpene precursor farnesyl

pyrophosphate (also known as farnesyl diphosphate), in a two-step Mg2+-dependent reaction.[1] Geosmin, along with the irregular
monoterpene 2-methylisoborneol, together account for the majority of biologically-caused taste and odor outbreaks in drinking water
worldwide.[2] Geosmin has a distinct earthy or musty odor, which most people can easily smell. The geosmin odor detection
threshold in humans is very low, ranging from 0.006 to 0.01 micrograms per liter in water.[2] Geosmin is also responsible for the earthy
taste of beetroots and a contributor to the strong scent (petrichor) that occurs in the air when rain falls after a dry spell of weather or
when soil is disturbed.[3]
In chemical terms, it is a bicyclic alcohol with formula C12H22O, a derivative of decalin. Its name is derived from the Ancient
Greek γεω- geō- "earth" and ὀσμή osmḗ "smell". The word was coined in 1965 by the American biochemist Nancy N. Gerber (1929–
1985) and the French-American biologist Hubert A. Lechevalier (1926–2015).[4][5]

Contents

 1Production
 2Effects
 3See also
 4References
 5Further reading

Production[edit]
Geosmin is produced by various blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) and filamentous bacteria in the class Actinomyces, and also some
other prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The main genera in the cyanobacteria that have been shown to produce geosmin
include Anabaena, Phormidium, and Planktothrix, while the main genus in the Actinomyces that produces geosmin is Streptomyces.[2]
[6][7][8] Communities whose water supplies depend on surface water can periodically experience episodes of unpleasant-tasting water
when a sharp drop in the population of these bacteria releases geosmin into the local water supply. Under acidic conditions, geosmin
decomposes into odorless substances.[4]
In 2006, the biosynthesis of geosmin by a bifunctional Streptomyces coelicolor enzyme was unveiled.[9][10] A single enzyme, geosmin
synthase, converts farnesyl diphosphate to geosmin in a two-step reaction.
Not all blue-green algae cyanobacteria produce geosmin. Identification of species that might produce geosmin is traditionally done
through microscopic identification of algae as geosmin producers, a technique that is labor-intensive and requires specialized
knowledge. Recent advances in molecular biology have enabled identification of a geosmin synthase gene, geoA, which is present in
cyanobacterial species that produce geosmin, but is not present in other cyanobacterial species.[11] Amplification of this gene from
water samples using real-time PCR may permit predictions of taste and odor events caused by cyanobacteria in fresh water.