Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay
Published on: October 2, 2017
Receptors, circuits, and behaviors: new directions in chemical senses
Donald B Katz1, Hiroaki Matsunami, Dmitry Rinberg
1Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, USA.
Abstract:
The chemical senses, smell and taste, are the most poorly understood sensory modalities. In recent years, however, the field of chemosensation has benefited from new methods and technical innovations that have accelerated the rate of scientific progress. For example, enormous advances have been made in identifying olfactory and gustatory receptor genes and mapping their expression patterns. Genetic tools now permit us to monitor and control neural activity in vivo with unprecedented precision. New imaging techniques allow us to watch neural activity patterns unfold in real time. Finally, improved hardware and software enable multineuron electrophysiological recordings on an expanded scale. These innovations have enabled some fresh approaches to classic problems in chemosensation.
Related Concept Videos
Tactile and Chemical Senses
Introduction to Special Senses
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Introduction to Sensory Receptors
The first classification criterion is based on cell type, position, and function. Some receptor cells are neurons with free nerve endings, where their dendrites are embedded in the...
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory organs,...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
The olfactory...

