Thomas Bozza Molecular genetics and physiology of olfaction

Research Interests

Molecular genetics of olfactory perception

My laboratory uses the mouse olfactory system as a model to investigate the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation and sensory function. We are currently pursuing two broad lines of research.

Mechanisms of Random Monoallelic Expression

While most genes are expressed from both maternal and paternal alleles, a small subset exhibits random monoallelic expression, in which only one allele is active. This unusual mode of gene regulation contributes to cell identity, development, physiological diversity, and disease susceptibility, yet the mechanisms that govern it remain poorly understood. Odorant receptor genes provide one of the most striking examples of random monoallelic expression: each olfactory sensory neuron in the mouse expresses one allele of one receptor gene from a repertoire of more than 2,000 receptor gene alleles. Our laboratory investigates the mechanisms underlying olfactory receptor gene choice using mouse genetics, genome engineering, single-cell transcriptomics, epigenomics, and spatial transcriptomics.

Molecular Basis of Chemical Detection

The olfactory system is an exquisitely sensitive chemical detector capable of recognizing and discriminating an enormous diversity of volatile molecules. We investigate the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying odor detection, how environmental and microbiome-derived chemicals influence innate behavior, and how olfactory receptors and sensory systems can be exploited for disease diagnosis and chemical sensing.

Selected Publications

Cichy, A., Dewan, A., He, Z., Fitzgerald, C., Ratkowski, M., Kraswicz, J., Ozarkar, V., Kaye, S., Teng, T., Zhang, J., Feinstein, P., & Bozza, T. (2026). A microbiome-derived olfactory signal regulates inter-male aggression and social dominance in mice. Current Biology, 36, 1946–1958.e4.

Brann, D. H., Tsukahara, T., Tau, C., Kalloor, D., Lubash, R., Thamarai Kannan, L., Klimpert, N., Kollo, M., Escamilla-Del-Arenal, M., Bintu, B., Bozza, T., & Datta, S. R. (2026). A spatial code governs olfactory receptor choice and aligns sensory maps in the nose and brain. Cell, 189, 3358–3379.e30.

Tsukahara, T., Brann, D. H., Pashkovski, S. L., Guitchounts, G., Bozza, T., & Datta, S. R. (2021). A transcriptional rheostat couples past activity to future sensory responses. Cell, 184(26), 6326–6343.

Shah, A., Ratkowski, M., Rosa, A., Feinstein, P., & Bozza, T. (2021). Olfactory expression of trace amine-associated receptors requires cooperative cis-acting enhancers. Nature Communications, 12, 3797.

Cichy, A., Shah, A., Dewan, A., Kaye, S., & Bozza, T. (2019). Genetic depletion of class I odorant receptors impacts perception of carboxylic acids. Current Biology, 29(16), 2687–2697.

Dewan, A., Cichy, A., Zhang, J., Miguel, K., Feinstein, P., Rinberg, D., & Bozza, T. (2018). Single olfactory receptors set odor detection thresholds. Nature Communications, 9, 2887.

Dewan, A., Pacifico, R., Zhan, R., Rinberg, D., & Bozza, T. (2013). Non-redundant coding of aversive odours in the main olfactory pathway. Nature, 497(7450), 486–489.

View all publications by Thomas Bozza listed in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed).