A Silicon Olfactome

Abstract

In this issue of Chemical Senses, Galizia et al publish an important new tool for the chemosensory research community in general and for olfactory-oriented scientist in particular. The primary aim of the tool is to make it possible to compare results regarding the response specificity of Drosophila melanogaster olfactory receptors (DOrs) from different laboratories. These results have often been arrived at by the use of varying stimulation paradigms and different response registration methods. By building an impressive algorithm, the authors have created a web-based resource, where all extant response spectra have been entered, already now providing a very comprehensive overview of key ligands and tuning width of the DOrs. The web resource is highly attractive, as the authors make it freely available to the scientific community, with an open structure allowing new results to be entered as they emerge. The general structure of the program also allows its application to other species, such as other drosophilids, mice, and humans. Even though the application, as the authors themselves point out, still has its shortcomings, we find it to be a very important step forward in correlating the strong universal effort in understanding Drosophila olfaction.