Lin

The proper development of the nervous system is essential to the function of any organism. The nervous system integrates sensory input, coordinates motor output, controls autonomic functions, and shapes memory and cognition. To accomplish these tasks, the nervous system employs billions of neurons that will form trillions of connections with their appropriate targets. For example, in the olfactory system, odorant in the environment are detected by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) located in the nose. In order for odorant information to be properly transmitted to the brain, however, these neurons must be connected, or "wired together," with their appropriate partners in the brain. How this critical feat of pathfinding and target recognition is accomplished is still largely unknown. In one model, this process is mediated by cues located at various points within the brain that would interact with and guide neurons to their target. These cues would form, in essence, a "roadmap", that would help guide neurons to their target. In this proposal, we will combine bioinformatics, statistical methods, and genomics to begin to determine the shape of this map. As a model system, we will study the ability of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) to identify their targets in the olfactory bulb.