NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Functional responses of bird olfactory receptors

Driver, Robert, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2022, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Birds inhabit nearly all land environments, yet were long thought to make limited use of their sense of smell. Recent behavioral work in birds has shown important roles for smell in behavior and ecology. Vertebrates detect odors using proteins called olfactory receptors (ORs). The fellow has earlier shown that birds have many more ORs than previously realized. There are no studies in birds that match odors to ORs, and it is unknown which odors are important in bird ecology. However, researchers have matched mammalian ORs to specific odors. In many cases, these mammalian ORs are closely related to bird ORs. This research will test these closely related bird ORs with the same odors that the mammalian ORs detect, to understand how conserved OR function is between mammals and birds. This research will also test OR response to odors relevant to bird behavior, including oils from the gland birds use for preening. Additionally, outreach projects will show bird watchers the importance of smell to their local species. The fellow hopes to change the historical perception of bird smell and show that this is an important sense birds use to perceive the world. This project will use a set of mouse ORs known to respond to specific odorants that are orthologous to zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) ORs to test in vivo if odorant responses are preserved through the evolution of these two highly divergent vertebrate lineages. The fellow will then screen a larger panel of odorants against the zebra finch ORs in vitro. This would be the first test aimed to reveal a functional response for a bird OR. Using odorants that are behaviorally relevant to the zebra finch, the fellow will investigate OR responses in vivo. The fellow will conduct an outreach activity at nature centers using feeders with hidden food and provide forms for the public to record observations and learn about bird olfaction. The fellow will continue to promote inclusivity in bird watching, and push for the removal of offensive bird names. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.