Photomicrograph of a zebrafish embryo cut in cross section. The nuclei of all the cells in the embryo are stained with a fluorescent dye, which imparts a blue color when illuminated by ultraviolet light. This section cuts through the forebrain region of the embryo, and includes the two developing eyes on either side of the brain, as well as the two cup-shaped olfactory organs astride the top. Bright clusters over the olfactory organs correspond to the expression of odorant receptors, which are expressed by the olfactory sensory neurons and are responsible for receiving chemical information from the environment.

The laboratory of John Ngai researches the olfactory systems of vertebrates in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology.

Photo submitted by John Ngai