Many thanks and congrats to all who participated in this work esp. our collaborators (Tatsuya Tsukahara, @neuroboz.bsky.social , @andreas-t-schaefer.bsky.social , and Alex Fleishmann)!

Happy to share the latest from the lab! A microbiome-generated metabolite affects male-male aggression and social dominance in mice via the main olfactory system. Gut-Nose-Behavior. www.cell.com/current-biol...

A microbiome-derived olfactory signal regulates inter-male aggression and social dominance in mice

Cichy et al. show that trimethylamine (TMA), a gut microbiome-derived metabolite, activates the receptor TAAR5 in the main olfactory system to regulate aggression and social dominance in male mice. Th...

cell.com

For those reviewing grants for study sections. Are you just proceeding on normal schedule?

🚨 Preprint alert! 🚨 Can mice estimate the distance to an odour source? New work led by Cristina Marin and colleagues, jointly supervised by @andreas-t-schaefer.bsky.social at the @crick.ac.uk and myself. Spoiler alert: Yes, they can! Read the paper here: bit.ly/43A9tF9 Short 🧵 below

Finally, our results would not be possible without past and present members of the Datta lab, including Tatsuya Tsukahara (now at the LTRI in Toronto) and great collaborators like Martin Escamilla del Arenal and Tom Bozza (@neuroboz.bsky.social). We look forward to your feedback on this work!

A spatial code governs olfactory receptor choice and aligns sensory maps in the nose and brain

Although topographical maps organize many peripheral sensory systems, it remains unclear whether olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) choose which of the ~1100 odor receptors (ORs) to express based upon t...

biorxiv.org

Olfactory neuroscientists have known for a while that their stimuli stink. A new analysis illuminates the extent of the problem. By @callimcflurry.bsky.social #neuroskyence www.thetransmitter.org/olfaction/sm...

Smell studies often use unnaturally high odor concentrations, analysis reveals

It’s time to fashion olfactory neuroscience stimuli based on odor concentrations in the wild, say study investigators Elizabeth Hong and Matt Wachowiak.

thetransmitter.org

Glad to share this review of odor concentrations in nature versus experiments, just out in J Neurosci. Spoiler: they are far apart. We discuss implications for olfactory neuroscience and welcome debate. With @neuroboz.bsky.social @dewanlab.bsky.social, Betty Hong. www.jneurosci.org/content/45/1...

My BFFL Marco Gallio, @mlcapek.bsky.social, and colleagues just dropped an absolute banger of a paper in @nature.com! The Evanston flylords reveal the molecular and neuronal basis of thermal niche adaptation in drosophilid flies. A must-read! 🔥🔥 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Evolution of temperature preference in flies of the genus Drosophila - Nature

A study using flies of the genus Drosophila adapted to life in diverse thermal environments shows how evolution has shaped temperature preference by acting on both molecular heat receptors and th...

nature.com

Check out our review comparing typical experimental to naturally-occurring odor concentrations. You might be surprised. www.jneurosci.org/content/45/1... Thanks to Matt and Betty for asking me to take part!

Recalibrating Olfactory Neuroscience to the Range of Naturally Occurring Odor Concentrations

Sensory systems enable organisms to detect and respond to environmental signals relevant for their survival and reproduction. A crucial aspect of any sensory signal is its intensity; understanding how...

jneurosci.org

For my inaugural post on this platform, I pose THE critical question of our day. Fruit fly or Vinegar fly? Can’t we just pick one?