LIN Seminar: “Wiring the taste system: from sensation to behavior” by Hojoon Lee (Northwestern University)

Please join us October 17 at 4pm in SELE 4289 for a LIN Seminar featuring "Wiring the taste system: from sensation to behavior" by Hojoon Lee (Northwestern University)

Lee Lab

Hosts: Mitch Roitman and Alex Keinath

Abstract: The sense of taste evaluates the nutritional value (sweet,
umami, salty) and safety (bitter, sour) of food. Because this
assessment is critical for the survival of the animal, taste cues
immediately cause stereotypical behaviors leading to acceptance or rejection of the food item, accompanied by innate affect (pleasure vs disgust). This makes the taste system a remarkable neurobiological model for studying how the brain precisely interprets external stimuli and initiates hardwired behaviors. Our research focuses on brainstem circuits, which serve as a crucial hub in mammals, integrating sensory signals with other external (exteroceptive) and internal (interoceptive) inputs, such as hunger, thirst, and general well-being. This combined information is then relayed to various brain regions to drive appropriate behavioral responses. Over a century ago, Ramón y Cajal meticulously mapped the intricate networks within the medulla, but our understanding of the brainstem has largely been confined to a broad "nucleus" level. This limitation was primarily due to the formidable challenges posed by traditional experimental approaches, given the  deep location of the brainstem within the mouse skull, positioned beneath the cerebellum, and the risk of disrupting numerous delicate but essential bodily functions. However, recent technological advances now allow us to monitor and manipulate neuronal activity in these deep brain regions. In this seminar, I will discuss the molecules, cells, and neural circuits involved in the accurate and sensitive detection of taste qualities, along with our latest research to understand how the brain transforms taste information into appropriate behaviors.