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Lab Research

The lab research is focused on the link between the chemical structures of odorant molecules and their
interactions with odorant receptors expressed in olfactory neurons. Odorant receptors are the key to understanding the perception of smell as they transform the chemical signals of odorant compounds into electric signals of olfactory sensory neurons, which are in turn interpreted by our brain as odor percept.

As the structures of these proteins have been experimentally determined, we build an optimal protocol to predict their dynamic behavior under the constraints of experimental data we generate. We aim  to understand how they are activated, how they bind ligands, and which features control their odorant
recognition spectrum or their cell surface expression in cell models.
Our long-term aim is to fully understand the link between odorant receptors and odorants at a molecular level as well as between odorant receptors and odor perception.

WATERMARK_edited.jpg
Image de Brett Jordan

Research support 

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  Present

  Principal investigator:

  • ANR JCJC "WhoNose", 2023-2027

  • University Paris Saclay GS Chimie Emergence, “Chemical probe for polyvalent odorant receptors’ function”, 2023-2024

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  Previous

  Principal investigator:

  • NIH-NIDCD 02/01/2020-01/31/2025, K99/R00-DC018333-01Understanding of G protein-coupled odorant receptors function

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Molecular Modeling

Molecular simulation

Structure analysis

Software:

Modeller, Jalview, Vina, Maestro, AMBER, VMD

Sensory analysis

Panel formation

Sensory analysis (QDA, DTS, Triangular test)

Software:

Fizz-biosystem, XLstat, JUMP

Flavor science

Recognition of 200 odorant compounds

Flavor design

Chemical analysis of flavor compounds

Biology

Luciferase assay

Sequencing 

FACS analysis

Software:

Graph Prism, Flow Jo, ApE

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