Something smells about her business.

• Position: People - Aromatherapy

Naomie Poran, 48, first attracted attention in the academic world for her expertise in snake venom. She's now using her doctorate to make sure her passion, aromatherapy--the use of aromatic oils to cure illnesses and ease pain--isn't dismissed as so much snake oil.

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Poran, CEO of Raleigh-based SemioChem Corp., looks the part of New Age therapist, with her flowered blouse and long red hair. At her home office, just blocks from her lab at N.C. State, every available space is filled with bottles and test tubes.

Aromatherapy has been around for centuries, but the evidence supporting it is mostly anecdotal. A Japanese study says a steady whiff of lemon or peppermint in the office can increase productivity by as much as 30%. Others say that the smell of jasmine stimulates memory and that lavender eases arthritic pain.

Poran is aiming to put the weight of science behind these claims. She started SemioChem in 1996 with a $60,000 grant from the N.C. Biotechnology Center. It employs five part-time researchers who study pheromones, animal secretions that convey information through odor. Poran also studies distillates of fragrant plants. Commercial applications of the research could include stress relief. To cover SemioChem's...