Olfactory sensory neurons (in green) transfer information to olfactory projection neurons (in yellow). These sensory neurons carry information from the nose, to the olfactory bulb and end in spherical structures called glomeruli. One of the projects will work to understand how the neural code for odors is transformed at this stage of processing in the brain.

Credit: J. McGann and M. Wachowiak

Worker honeybees use many cues, including odors, to locate and identify flowers that have nectar and pollen: resources the bee colony needs for survival. One of the Ideas Lab projects will use honeybees and fruit flies as model organisms to probe the olfactory circuit.

Credit: Arizona State University

A laser-based experimental visualization of two interacting odor plumes (falsely colored in red and blue), transported from left to right in a turbulent flow. The spatial and temporal patterns in the plumes likely embed information about the distance and direction to the source of the odorant. One of the Ideas Labs projects will research how animals behave in olfactory environments, and the mechanics of odor distribution.

Credit: John Crimaldi and Michael Soltys, University of Colorado