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By Kelsey Simpkins

New international network explores how odors lead to actions

CU Boulder is leading a听groundbreaking new international听research network dubbed听, which includes 16听scientists from 16 institutions听around the world working together听to better understand the brain and听its evolution by reverse-engineering听how it interprets odors. Part of听the Next Generation Networks for听Neuroscience (NeuroNex) Program,听the five-year project is aimed at听understanding how animals use听information from odors in their听environment to guide behavior,听with far-ranging implications for our听understanding of the human brain.

The network will examine all the steps听involved in how an odor stimulus听is encoded by the brain and then听activates the motor circuits to produce听a behavioral response in an animal.听The model species they are working听with, including fruit flies and mice, will听help the researchers understand these听same steps in humans.

鈥淭he chemical sensing process (i.e.,听smell) evolved in the very earliest听life forms on Earth,鈥� said John听Crimaldi, lead principal investigator听on the network and professor in the听Department of Civil, Environmental听and Architectural Engineering. 鈥淭he听idea here is that all brain evolution听has taken place in the presence of听chemical sensing. And so it鈥檚 thought听to be a primal portal from which to听view brain function.鈥�

While Crimaldi and CU Boulder have听previously received significant awards听to research how animals find the听source of an odor, this project is much听broader and aims to understand the听whole brain and the mechanism that听goes into a behavioral response to听smelling something.

Smell is the least understood sense,听and humans have struggled to听replicate odor-based searches with听machines, Crimaldi said. Doing so,听however, would allow robots to take听over treacherous duties instead of听humans or dogs, unlocking a new听area of advancement for autonomous听systems. These robots could one听day rescue a person buried in an听avalanche, locate valuable natural听resources, or find chemical weapons听and explosives on their own,听for example.

This network is among the largest听the College of Engineering has听ever been involved in, said Keith听Molenaar, interim dean of the College听of Engineering and Applied Science.听He said the work would result in听transformational research around our听understanding of the brain that could听also lead to cures for diseases that听connect to our sense of smell鈥攐r听even understanding why loss of smell听is a symptom of some diseases like听COVID-19.

As an engineer, Crimaldi said he听never expected to end up working听in neuroscience, but it turns out听a lot of engineering is involved in听understanding what odors look like.听He currently studies fluid mechanics听from a theoretical perspective,听using lasers in a nonintrusive way听to measure flows鈥攍ike odors鈥攖hrough air and liquids. He鈥檚 looked听at everything from why coral听reproduction underwater is successful听to how animals can tell where a smell听is coming from.

鈥淟ife forms have evolved to take听advantage of specific opportunities听and constraints that are imposed by听their physical environment,鈥� Crimaldi听said. 鈥淚 like to say we don鈥檛 just听use physics to understand biology听or ecology, or the brain. We also听use evolutionary processes that听have evolved in animals to help us听understand details of what鈥檚 going on听in the physical world.鈥�