Filter Properties of Chemoreceptor Cells

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9222774 Atema The way in which sensory receptors process rapid changes of stimulus over time has not been studied much in chemical reception (smell and taste), where the emphasis has been on molecular recognition. Yet complex and dynamic odors characterize the natural environment, and are likely to be very important to how the brain integrates chemosensory signals into appropriate behavior. This work develops novel electrochemical measuring techniques for investigating the spatial and temporal resolution of olfactory receptors on the very accessible model system of the antenna of marine crustaceans. A new tightly-controlled stimulus delivery technology allows a variety of stimulus parameters to be used while measuring the magnitude and reliability of response parameters, looking at effects such as excitation and adaptation patterns. The data will be incorporated into a model of chemosensory dynamics, and extended in studies on receptor development and central coding. This work will have impact beyond chemosensory neurobiology into areas of diagnostic tests for smell and taste performance for the food industry as well as medicine, and to the potential biotechnological development of underwater chemosensing robotic devices for ecology and for fisheries exploitation. ***