Killam Seminar Series: Characterizing the Neural Circuitry Underlying Odorant Perception
Supported by the generosity of the Killam Trusts, The Neuro's Killam Seminar Series invites outstanding guest speakers whose research is of interest to the scientific community at The Neuro and McGill University.
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Host: Jean-Francois Cloutier
Characterizing the Neural Circuitry Underlying Odorant Perception
Abstract: The olfactory system's ability to detect and discriminate between the vast array of chemicals present in the environment is critical for an animal's survival. In mammals, the first step of this odor processing is executed by olfactory sensory neurons, which project their axons to a stereotyped location in the olfactory bulb (OB) to form glomeruli. The stereotyped positioning of glomeruli in the OB suggests an importance for this organization in odor perception. However, because the location of only a limited subset of glomeruli has been determined, it has been challenging to determine the relationship between glomerular location and odor discrimination. Using a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and machine learning, we have generated a map of most glomerular positions in the mouse OB. These observations significantly extend earlier studies and suggest an overall organizational principle in the OB that may be used by the brain to assist in odor decoding. In addition, we have begun to characterize specific olfactory neural circuits that mediate particular innate, odor-driven behaviors.
Paul Greer
Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Paul is a Massachusetts lifer, never having lived outside of a two-mile radius from the hospital in which he was born. Despite this embarrassingly parochial upbringing, Paul has managed to experience a broad scientific training from a series of mentors to whom he remains incredibly grateful. For his doctoral work, under Mike Greenberg’s mentorship, he characterized mechanisms of synapse development and function relevant to human neurological disorders. Upon graduating from Mike’s lab, he joined Bob Datta’s lab, and ever since he has been investigating the mechanisms by which mammals respond appropriately to exteroceptive and interoceptive chemical cues.
