MAPPING FINE SCALE OLFACTORY SENSORY REPRESENTATIONS IN THE CORTEX

University Of California, San Diego, La Jolla CA

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The aim of this project is to reveal the neuroanatomical organization of circuits that underlie olfactory processing. While studies across species have revealed highly conserved olfactory sensory maps in the periphery, far less is known about the circuits that enable olfactory coding and perception in the brain. The primary objective of this project is to map the connectivity of input specific olfactory circuits from the nose to the cortex in the mouse brain. Findings from these studies can consequently be applied to identify cortical sites of integration for distinct olfactory inputs and to dissect the relative contribution of genes and experience in olfactory neural circuit formation and function. These studies should have implications for understanding innate behaviors such as fear and mating and also facilitate the study of learning and memory.