Talk title:
"Decoding Olfaction through Genomics, Evolution, Structure, and AI"

Abstract:
Our laboratory focuses on the functional characterization of odorant receptors (ORs) to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of olfaction and chemosensation. We overcame a major technical barrier by enabling heterologous expression of mammalian ORs and discovering the accessory proteins, which led to the first high-throughput deorphanization of ORs. Through collaborations, our work revealed that genetic variation in human ORs influences odor perception, providing molecular insight into specific anosmia and highlighting substantial interindividual differences in odor detection. We also developed an in vivo next-generation sequencing–based method to identify odor-activated ORs in behaving mice. Most recently, we solved the first atomic-level structure of a mammalian OR, opening new avenues for understanding odor binding and receptor activation.