Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Integration of Duplicated Odorant Receptors into Ant Olfactory Circuits

Award Number: F31DC024475
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/08/2027
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/07/2028

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Integration of Duplicated Odorant Receptors into Ant Olfactory Circuits - Project Summary The ability to detect chemical cues and use them to guide behavior is fundamental across animals. Canonically, olfactory sensory neurons in the periphery express a single odorant receptor (OR) and converge with neurons expressing the same receptor onto shared glomerular targets in the central brain. How this conserved architecture accommodates rapid expansion of receptor repertoires remains poorly understood. The clonal raider ant, Ooceraea biroi, provides a tractable system to address this question because it relies on chemical communication to coordinate social behavior and has approximately 500 ORs and a corresponding number of olfactory glomeruli, nearly an order of magnitude more than the fruit fly. This project tests the hypothesis that expanded OR repertoires are accommodated by regulatory and circuit mechanisms that preserve singular receptor choice while enabling the emergence of new sensory neuron classes and glomerular targets. Two integrated aims will define how recently duplicated ORs are incorporated into existing olfactory circuits. Aim 1 will determine whether duplicated ORs achieve mutually exclusive expression and will map their spatial distribution across the adult antenna. Aim 2 will model gene duplication by introducing endogenous OR duplicates and exogenous ORs into the genome, then test whether these receptors are singularly expressed, spatially restricted, and sufficient to generate new functional glomeruli. This project will be carried out in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Kronauer at Rockefeller University, which provides an exceptional environment for studying chemosensation, gene duplication, and neural circuit organization. The work will provide advanced training in two-photon imaging, olfactometry, and quantitative image analysis, while strengthening skills in scientific communication, mentorship, and independent project development. This research will define mechanisms by which expanded chemosensory receptor repertoires are integrated into functional olfactory circuits. By revealing how a sensory system specialized for chemical communication accommodates genomic change, the project will advance general principles of sensory circuit assembly, gene regulation, and sensory system evolution relevant to biomedical science.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $50,114 )
2026	2026	ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY	1230 YORK AVE	NEW YORK	NY	10065	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	9/10/2026	NEW	$50,114
														Subtotal = $50,114

Grand Total All Awards = $50,114

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Integration of Duplicated Odorant Receptors into Ant Olfactory Circuits

Award Number: F31DC024475

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/08/2027

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/07/2028

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer