Algorithms for Olfactory Search across Species

Keeley L Baker; Michael Dickinson; Teresa M Findley; David H Gire; Matthieu Louis; Marie P Suver; Justus V Verhagen; Katherine I Nagel; Matthew C Smear

doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1668-18.2018

Algorithms for Olfactory Search across Species

J Neurosci. 2018 Oct 31;38(44):9383-9389. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1668-18.2018.

Authors

Keeley L Baker^{1

2}, Michael Dickinson³, Teresa M Findley^{4

5}, David H Gire⁶, Matthieu Louis^{7

8

9}, Marie P Suver¹⁰, Justus V Verhagen^{1

2}, Katherine I Nagel¹¹, Matthew C Smear^{12

13}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven 06519, Connecticut.
² John B. Pierce Laboratory, New Haven 06519, Connecticut.
³ Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, California.
⁴ Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403, Oregon.
⁵ Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403, Oregon.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, Washington.
⁷ Neuroscience Research Institute, University of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara 93106, California.
⁸ Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara 93106, California.
⁹ Department of Physics, University of Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara 93106, California.
¹⁰ Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York 10016, New York, and.
¹¹ Neuroscience Institute, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York 10016, New York, and katherine.nagel@nyumc.org smear@uoregon.edu.
¹² Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403, Oregon, katherine.nagel@nyumc.org smear@uoregon.edu.
¹³ Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403, Oregon.

Abstract

Localizing the sources of stimuli is essential. Most organisms cannot eat, mate, or escape without knowing where the relevant stimuli originate. For many, if not most, animals, olfaction plays an essential role in search. While microorganismal chemotaxis is relatively well understood, in larger animals the algorithms and mechanisms of olfactory search remain mysterious. In this symposium, we will present recent advances in our understanding of olfactory search in flies and rodents. Despite their different sizes and behaviors, both species must solve similar problems, including meeting the challenges of turbulent airflow, sampling the environment to optimize olfactory information, and incorporating odor information into broader navigational systems.

Keywords: active sensing; memory; olfaction; olfactory navigation; olfactory search; turbulence.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Algorithms*
Animals
Environment*
Humans
Memory / physiology
Odorants*
Smell / physiology*
Species Specificity

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding