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Olfaction

We investigate olfactory processing and odor-guided behavior in insects. In collaboration with our experimental partners we analyze neurophysiological data to elucidate the olfactory code at different levels of the olfactory system. In computational and mathematical models we study efficient and sparse odor coding along the olfactory pathway. We are particularly interested in how the system processes olfactory input under natural stimulus conditions, i.e. for temporally and spatially dynamic stimuli. Moreover we study the formation of olfactory memories in the honeybee.

Funding

Funding is provided by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within the priority program Integrated Analysis of Olfaction (SPP 1392) and by the German Ministry of Education and Research within the Bernstein Focus Neuronal Basis of Learning: Insect inspired robots - The role of memory in decision making. Additional funding was received by the Volkswagen Stiftung.

Collaborations

Prof. Dr. Giovanni Galizia (Universität Konstanz)

Prof. Dr. Randolf Menzel (Freie Universität Berlin)

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Rössler, Dr. Martin Brill, Dr. Martin Strube-Bloss (Universität Würzburg)

Dr. Philippe Lucas (Institut national de la recherche agronomique, Versailles)

Related Publications

  • Gabler S, Soelter J, Hussain T, Sachse S and Schmuker M (2013). Physicochemical vs. vibrational descriptors for prediction of odor receptor responses. Molecular Informatics (in press). [abstract] [PDF]
  • Kasap B, Schmuker M (2013). Improving odor classification through self-organized lateral inhibition in a spiking olfaction-inspired network. 6th International IEEE EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering, San Diege, USA, Nov 5-8, 2013 (in press) [PDF]
  • Farkhooi F, Froese A, Müller E, Menzel R, Nawrot MP (2013) Cellular Adaptation Facilitates Sparse and Reliable Coding in Sensory Pathways. PLoS Computational Biology 9: e1003251; doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003251 [abstract] [PDF]
  • Meyer A, Galizia G, Nawrot MP (2013) Local interneurons and projection neurons in the antennal lobe from a spiking point of view. Journal of Neurophysiology 110: 2465-2474 doi:10.1152/jn.00363.2013 [abstract] [PDF]
  • Auffarth B (2013) Understanding smell — The olfactory stimulus problem Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews(2013),doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.06.009 [abstract] [PDF]
  • Brill M, Rosenbaum T, Reus I, Kleineidam C, Nawrot M, Rössler W (2013) Parallel processing via a dual olfactory pathway in the honeybee. Journal of Neuroscience February 6, 2013 33(6):2443–2456 [PDF][press]
  • Nawrot MP (2012) Dynamics of sensory processing in the dual olfactory pathway of the honeybee. Apidologie, Epub: Mar 22, 2012; doi:10.1007/s13592-012-0131-3 [PDF]
  • Schmuker M, Yamagata N, Nawrot MP and Menzel R (2011). Parallel representation of stimulus identity and intensity in a dual pathway model inspired by the olfactory system of the honeybee. Frontiers in Neuroengineering 4: 17 doi: 10.3389/fneng.2011.00017 [abstract] [PDF]
  • Eschbach C, Vogt K, Schmuker M, Gerber B (2011) The Similarity between Odors and Their Binary Mixtures in Drosophila. Chemical Senses 36(7):613-621. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
  • Chen Y, Mishra D, Schmitt L, Schmuker M, Gerber B (2011) A Behavioral Odor Similarity "Space" in Larval Drosophila. Chemical Senses 36(3):237-249 [abstract] [PDF]
  • Yamagata N, Schmuker M, Szyszka P, Mizunami M and Menzel R (2009) Differential odor processing in two olfactory pathways in the honeybee. Front. Syst. Neurosci. 3:16. doi:10.3389/neuro.06.016.2009 [abstract] [PDF]
  • Krofczik S, Menzel R and Nawrot MP (2009) Rapid odor processing in the honeybee antennal lobe network. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience 2:9. doi:10.3389/neuro.10.009.2008 [Full Text] [PDF]