# Dynamics of odor coding and processing by neural circuits in the olfactory bulb

> **NIH NIH R01** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2022 · $324,063

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 A fundamental step in understanding sensation is understanding how neural circuits in the brain
transform patterns of sensory neuron activity into robust and efficient representations of the external world.
Sensation is an active process in which the detection and initial encoding of sensory information is dynamically
modulated by sampling behavior. Understanding how central circuits process sensory information in the
context of active sampling is critical for understanding the neural basis of sensation in the behaving animal.
The goals of this project are to understand how neural circuits in the mammalian olfactory bulb transform
sensory inputs in vivo and in the context of active odor sampling, or sniffing.
 First, we will examine circuit-level determinants of the diverse patterns of excitatory drive onto mitral
and tufted cells, focusing on the respective roles of sensory inputs and glomerular circuits in generating this
diversity. Second, we will define if and how stimulus features themselves – in particular, odorant chemistry and
intensity – relate to the dynamics of excitatory drive onto MT cells, as well as how these dynamics are shaped
by sniffing behavior. Finally, we will ask how dynamics and glomerular patterns of excitatory input impact the
input-output transformation of the olfactory bulb.
 The proposed experiments implement several innovative approaches to dissecting circuit function in
the intact olfactory bulb; these include using second-generation optical reporters of glutamate to directly image
excitatory signaling onto mitral/tufted cells with high temporal resolution, dual-color imaging of glutamate and
calcium to simultaneously monitor presynaptic inputs and readouts of mitral/tufted cell activity from the same
glomerulus, and the use of identified glomeruli with well-characterized response spectra to design powerful
tests of model predictions.
 The overall impact of the project will be to advance a mechanistic understanding of the relationship
between the dynamics of odor sampling and the resulting dynamics of neural activity in the olfactory bulb.
These findings will pave the way for ultimately understanding the role that neural dynamics and active
sampling play in odor perception.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10458075
- **Project number:** 5R01DC019636-02
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** DALE M WACHOWIAK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $324,063
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10458075

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10458075, Dynamics of odor coding and processing by neural circuits in the olfactory bulb (5R01DC019636-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10458075. Licensed CC0.

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