From the Biology of Smell to Digital Olfaction: Understanding the Olfactory Brain

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Laura López-Mascaraque from Instituto Cajal – CSIC, Spain, will be presenting at the 9th World Congress on Digital Olfaction (DOS 2026) this December in Tokyo.

Digital olfaction aims to detect, interpret, and reproduce odors through sensors, data processing, and artificial intelligence. However, understanding how biological olfaction works remains essential for developing technologies that can meaningfully interact with the sense of smell. This presentation provides a biological perspective on olfaction, focusing on how odor molecules are detected, encoded, and processed by the olfactory system. It explores the role of the olfactory bulb and its direct connections with brain regions involved in emotion and memory, including the amygdala and hippocampus. These neural pathways help explain why odors can trigger strong emotional responses and vivid autobiographical memories. By examining the mechanisms of the olfactory brain, this talk offers a biological framework for understanding the opportunities and challenges involved in translating smell into digital information.