Integration of Odor Stimulus Features during Olfactory Processing

环境中空气传播的化学物质（气味）为动物提供了宝贵的信息来源，包括食物的适宜性、潜在的配偶和栖息地，以及诸如捕食者的存在等威胁。嗅觉系统使动物具有探测和评估周围环境的化学性质并适当调整其行为的能力。单一气味通常是复杂的化学混合物，因为它们是从一个确定的来源释放出来的。然而，单一的气味并不是孤立出现的——它与背景中的其他气味混合在一起。该项目旨在了解大脑在嘈杂背景下挑选和识别个体气味的机制。记录将通过飞蛾大脑嗅觉中心的单个神经元进行，同时操纵气味呈现给昆虫的触角（鼻子）。这一结果将为气味信息在大脑中的表现机制提供新的见解，以及这如何有助于将复杂的气味识别为有凝聚力的“物体”。除了有助于对嗅觉如何工作的基本理解外，还期望利用害虫作为研究系统，可能为农业社区监测或干扰昆虫行为提供有用的新见解。昆虫是向K-12学校的儿童介绍和吸引他们参与科学过程的极好工具，这种适当的活动将成为当前项目的一部分。高中生和本科生也将参与这个项目。

Airborne chemicals (odors) present in the environment provide a valuable source of information for animals about the suitability of food, potential mates and habitats, as well as threats such as the presence of predators. The olfactory system equips animals with the ability to detect and assess the chemical nature of their surroundings and adjust their behavior appropriately. Single odors are often complex chemical mixtures that occur together because they are released from a defined source. However, a single odor does not occur in isolation--it is intermingled with other odors in the background. This project seeks to understand the mechanisms by which the brain picks out and recognizes individual odors against a noisy backdrop. Recordings will be made from single neurons in the olfactory centers of the moth brain while manipulating the presentation of odors to the antenna (nose) of the insect. The results will provide new insights about the mechanisms by which odor information is represented by the brain and how this contributes to the recognition of complex odors as cohesive 'objects'. In addition to contributing to the basic understanding of how the sense of smell works, it is also expected that the use of pest insects, as the study system, may provide novel insights useful to the agricultural community in monitoring or disrupting insect behavior. Insects are excellent tools for introducing and engaging K-12 school children in the scientific process and such appropriate activities will form a part of the current project. High school students and undergraduates will also participate in this project.