John Carlson (biologist)

John Carlson is an American biologist renowned for his work on olfaction, or the sense of smell, in insects, particularly Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies). He is a Eugene Higgins Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University.

Carlson's research focuses on understanding how insects detect and discriminate odors, and how this information is processed in the brain. His lab has made significant contributions to the identification and characterization of odorant receptors, the proteins on olfactory neurons that bind to odor molecules and initiate the signaling cascade leading to odor perception. He and his team have developed techniques to deorphanize these receptors, meaning they have identified the specific odors that activate specific receptors.

His work has illuminated the combinatorial coding logic of olfaction, where a single odorant activates multiple receptors, and a single receptor can be activated by multiple odorants. This complex system allows insects to distinguish between a vast array of scents. Furthermore, he has investigated the neural circuitry involved in processing olfactory information in the insect brain, tracing the pathways from sensory neurons to higher brain centers.

Carlson's discoveries have broad implications for understanding not only insect behavior, but also the evolution and function of olfactory systems across different species, potentially providing insights into human olfaction as well. His research has also provided valuable tools for studying insect behavior, and for developing new strategies for insect control. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has received numerous awards for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of olfaction.