Seminar: "Mammalian Odorant Receptors: Function and Evolution" by Prof. Matsunami

Dear All,

Sensory and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit (Fukunaga Unit) would like to invite you to a seminar by Professor Matsunami from Duke University.

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Date: Monday, June 5, 2017

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Venue: Seminar Room B503, Center Bldg

Speaker: Professor Hiroaki Matsunami

Title: Mammalian Odorant Receptors: Function and Evolution

Abstract: 

Mammalian odorant receptors (ORs) have gone through unique evolutionary history involving massive gene duplications followed by functional diversification. Our understanding of functional diversification of ORs that enable to detect and discriminate tens of thousands of environmental chemicals is limited as the majority of the mammalian ORs remained as “orphan” without well-characterized cognate odorous ligands. We developed in vitro and in vivo methods to identify new odorous ligands for ORs, which afforded us a new opportunity to study OR ligand selectivity, signal transduction and functional evolution. 

Sensory and Behavioural Neuroscience Unit

(Fukuanga Unit)