Linda Buck is an American biologist known for her groundbreaking research in the field of olfaction, or the sense of smell. She was born on January 29, 1947, in Seattle, Washington. Buck, along with Richard Axel, received the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries related to the genetic basis of olfactory receptors and how the brain processes smells. Buck's work has significantly advanced our understanding of how humans and other animals perceive odors. She has contributed to the identification of a large family of genes that encode olfactory receptors, which play a crucial role in the detection of different scents. Her research has implications for various fields, including neuroscience and psychology.