In 2023, the Amazon rainforest experienced its worst recorded drought since records began. River levels dropped dramatically and vegetation at all levels deteriorated due to intense heat and water shortages. In such conditions, plants release increased amounts of monoterpenes—small, volatile organic compounds that act as a defense mechanism and help communication with their environment. Some molecules, such as α-pinene, which smells like pine, occur as mirror-image pairs, known as enantiomers.