OBESITY HAS BECOME A HEALTH AND FINANCIAL CRISIS IN AMERICA, SHORTENING LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY. IT IS EXPECTED THAT 51% OF AMERICANS WILL BE OBESE BY THE YEAR 2030. THE OLFACTORY SYSTEM DRIVES FOOD CHOICE, WHEREBY OLFACTORY SENSITIVITY IS STRONGLY RELATED TO HUNGER AND FULLNESS. HOW OLFACTORY FUNCTION DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTES TO OBESITY IS NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD. MY PROPOSAL WILL CONTRIBUTE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE OLFACTION/OBESITY RELATIONSHIP.MICE ARE AN EXCELLENT MODEL FOR OLFACTORY AND METABOLIC STUDIES. USING CRISPR EDITING TECHNOLOGIES, I WILL ALTER THE WAY THAT A SUBSET OF NEURONS WITHIN THE OLFACTORY BULB PASS INFORMATION TO OTHER REGIONS OF THE BRAIN. I WILL MEASURE THE ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY OF THESE NEURONS, THE CHANGE IN OLFACTORY ABILITY OF THE MICE, AND THE CHANGE IN WHOLE-BODY METABOLISM OF THE MICE. DURING THE EXECUTION OF THIS PROJECT I WILL ENGAGE THREE DIFFERENT UNDERGRADUATE AUDIENCES: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCHERS THAT I MENTOR IN DATA COLLECTION, UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING THAT I LEAD ON A TOUR OF OUR FACILITIES, AND UNDERGRADUATE BIOLOGY HONOR STUDENTS WHOM I PROVIDE AN EXPLORATIVE LEARNING LECTURE. THE RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS AND PRESENTED AT SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES IN ORDER TO FURTHER INFORM CLINICIANS AND NUTRITION SCIENTISTS.THIS PROJECT HOPES TO IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC TARGET WITHIN THE OLFACTORY BULB THAT CAN BE MODULATED FOR THE CLINICAL TREATMENT OF OBESITY. THIS MAY LOWER OBESITY-ASSOCIATED HEALTHCARE COSTS AND MORTALITY. THIS PROJECT ALSO HOPES TO PROVIDE UNDERSTANDING OF AN OLFACTION-OBESITY PATHWAY, AFFECTING THE COMMERCIAL PREPARATION OF FOOD TO DECREASE OVERCONSUMPTION. THIS COULD REDUCE THE PROPORTION OF AMERICAN YOUTH WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE.