Rapid temporal processing in the olfactory bulb underlies concentration-invariant odor identification and signal decorrelation - Nature Neuroscience

This study shows that the brain’s smell center uses precise timing and inhibition to read out early odor signals, enabling reliable odor identity across concentrations while rapidly separating (decorrelating) similar smell patterns for better discrimination.

What Hunter-Gatherers Kept That Farmers Lost: The Genetics of Smell in Peninsular Malaysia

A new genomic study of the Orang Asli reveals that how people live has quietly shaped which olfactory receptor genes they carry — and which ones they've been allowed to lose.

Natural statistics of host odours predict species-specific olfactory behaviours in Drosophilids

Animals rely on olfaction to locate food, mates, and suitable habitats, yet natural odour environments contain thousands of volatile molecules, creating a high-dimensional sensory problem for both nervous systems and the researchers who study them. For example, a banana emits around 100 individual volatiles. It remains unclear which components of complex odour blends animals have evolved to use as behavioural cues. Here, combining fieldwork, chemical and behavioural analyses, we show across multiple Drosophila species that behaviourally relevant cues can be predicted directly from the statistical structure of natural odour environments. Animals preferentially respond to components that are most distinctive within their natural host odour blends, and therefore most ecologically informative. These cues can be either major or minor blend components. Our results indicate that host-guided olfactory behaviours have evolved to exploit the statistical structure of natural odour environments by selectively targeting the most informative features of odour blends. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. European Research Council, https://ror.org/0472cxd90, 802531 Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, https://ror.org/01degd278, Distinguished investigator award International Human Frontier Science Program Organization, https://ror.org/02ebx7v45, RGY0052/2022 Vallee Foundation Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (United States), https://ror.org/02qenvm24, CP-2-1-Prieto-Godino The Francis Crick Institute, CC2067 Cancer Research UK, https://ror.org/054225q67, CC2067 Wellcome Trust, https://ror.org/029chgv08, CC2067 Medical Research Council, https://ror.org/03x94j517, CC2067

Age-dependent H3K9 trimethylation by dSetdb1 impairs mitochondrial UPR leading to degeneration of olfactory neurons and loss of olfactory function in Drosophila