As experimentalists attempting to understand the neural basis of smell and taste, we are forced to make choices about which stimuli to use, how we present them, how we measure perception, and the range of odor- or taste-guided behaviors we study. As a result, our collective understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying chemosensation derives from a body of work that can be driven by experimental practicalities and divorced from the realities of how animals experience and respond to olfactory and gustatory signals in their natural environment. Despite key discoveries and game-changing advances in technologies for probing neural mechanisms and behavior, placing experimental findings in a naturalistic context remains a challenge that, we argue, receives too little attention. Here, we bring together a panel of scientists with expertise in diverse areas of chemosensory neuroscience to share their perspectives on advancing our understanding of how smell and taste actually work in the natural world. The panel will feature ample time for discussion and debate, including input from the audience, on ways of approaching chemosensory neuroscience from a more naturalistic perspective – and how a failure to do so might lead us astray.

Moderators

Alfredo Fontanini, SUNY Stonybrook
Leslie Kay, University of Chicago