# Synaptic Processing in the Olfactory System

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2020 · $367,598

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 In humans, the sense of smell contributes significantly to our quality of life. Odors are
strong cues for evoking memories of past events and olfaction plays an important role in our
perception of flavor. However, the mechanisms underlying the processing and encoding of
olfactory information in the brain are not clear. To address this question, we study the properties
of neuronal circuits formed by excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the rodent olfactory bulb, a site
where olfactory information is initially encoded in the brain. We also examine the properties of
circuits in the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex, the next major level at which olfactory information
is processed. Our long term goal is to understand how neural circuits ultimately give rise to
sensory perception
 The experiments proposed employ optical and electrophysiological techniques to
determine the response properties of identified neuronal populations in both the olfactory bulbs
and cortex. Specific Aim 1 proposes the use of chronic, in vivo two-photon recording of activity
from identified principal cells and inhibitory interneurons in the olfactory bulb of awake, head-fixed
mice. We will use this approach to determine how associative learning modifies odor
representations in behaving mice. We hypothesize that local interneurons play an important role
in learning-related changes in olfactory bulb activity. Specific Aim 2 proposes to investigate how
particular subtypes of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons modulate odor coding in piriform cortex.
We combine optogenetics, brain slice and in vivo electrophysiological recordings to reveal the
operations by which distinct interneuron classes govern odor-evoked activity of cortical principal
cells.Together, these experiments will show how local inhibitory interneurons in the olfactory bulb
and cortex regulate sensory information processing in the brain.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9978037
- **Project number:** 5R01DC004682-20
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** JEFFRY S ISAACSON
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $367,598
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9978037

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9978037, Synaptic Processing in the Olfactory System (5R01DC004682-20). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9978037. Licensed CC0.

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