HUMAN OLFACTION · From molecule to percept: Linking olfactory perception to olfactory receptor dynamics

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Project objective

As a neurobiologist in a physics lab, I developed during my Phd new techniques to study neuronal networks in culture and understand the dynamics of their electrical activity. My work was a pioneer attempt to identify neurons, characterize their synapses and model neuronal networks dynamics in vitro.My plan is now to apply my skills for understanding how neuronal activity is processing a sensory perception, olfaction. The mammalian olfactory system can recognize and discriminate a large number of odorant molecules binding to specific receptors expressed by Olfactory Receptor Neurons (ORNs). Although the family of receptor genes has been cloned, we are still unable to predict how an odorant smells given its molecular structure.One difficulty lies in the fact that the olfactory system hasn't evolved to classify odors based on chemical groups, but to solve essential living problems. In addition most studies are performed on animals, which cannot express their perception of odorants. Human subjects can express their perception, as well as compare and contrast odors based on intensity and quality descriptors. My project consists in taking advantage of this information to combine cognitive and cellular approaches in the same human subjects.First, I will initiate in Pr. Sobel's lab (UC Berkeley, USA) a culture of the human olfactory epithelium to study the properties of the response of human ORNs to odorants. In each human subject, I will corroborate the properties of ORNs responses with the profile of their olfactory perception using psychophysics.Then, I will set up the culture of human ORNs with Dr Bensafi in the laboratory of Neurosciences and Sensory Systems (CNRS, Lyon) and focus on testing the central versus peripheral mechanism of plasticity occurring during olfactory learning assayed in psychophysics and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE · PARISCoordinatorFrance
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY · BERKELEYCity levelUnited States

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