Laboratory of
Comparative Medicine

Research

The Neural Mechanisms of “Good Taste” and “Bad Taste”
　The sensations of “good taste” and “bad taste” are produced by the interaction of taste and smell. Many animals learn “good” and “bad” tastes by associating the smell and taste of food through eating experiences, and they then acquire food preferences and aversions. Although food preferences and aversions are important for nutritional management in both animals and humans, the neural mechanisms underlying the interactions between the olfactory and gustatory systems remain poorly understood. Our research focuses on the insular cortex (which is a region of the cerebral cortex with a multisensory integration function) and aims to elucidate the neural bases of the interactions between taste and smell by combining behavioral analyses, in vivo imaging, and histochemical techniques.

The development of animal care and management techniques that are both humane and effective for animals used in research is of paramount importance.
　The proper care and management of laboratory animals is essential for obtaining stable experimental data. Mice are biologically considered animals that do not tolerate contact with humans well, and in recent years, methods have been developed to prevent direct contact between humans and mice by using instruments such as” handling tubes”. However, the inappropriate use of instruments can cause great stress to both humans and mice. The objective of our research is to develop safer methods of using animal control instruments and new management techniques. To this end, we are recording and analyzing the biological responses of mice undergoing human-conducted management in real time.

Guidance Policy for Graduate Students

The Neural Mechanisms of “Good Taste” and “Bad Taste”
　This research will be conducted in collaboration with other institutions that currently have experimental equipment for in vivo brain imaging. We will develop a system for recording and analyzing the neural activity that generates a reciprocal response between taste and smell in real time by inducing mice equipped with a device for observing neural activity in the brain to perform feeding and drinking behaviors under free-running conditions. The graduate students conducting this research will work both at the university and at other institutions, and it is expected that they will develop a wide range of human networks. We hope to attract students interested in research not only in veterinary medicine, but also in medicine, dentistry, and neuroscience.

The development of animal care and management techniques that are both humane and effective for animals used in research is of paramount importance.
　In recent years, the concept of animal behavior has been introduced into the care and management of laboratory animals, and new management techniques using animal behavior as an indicator have been developed. In addition to behavioral analyses, we have recorded non-contact temperature changes and vocalizations synchronized with emotional changes in mice. We invite students to conduct research on learning and emotion in laboratory mice that considers the effects of human care and management on mice.

Publications