Molecular Basis of Olfaction

Dr Richard Glatz has a broad background in Molecular Biology, Entomology & Ecology. He has worked with industry and government performing scientific research and project management.In 2004, he completed a PhD at The University of Adelaide. That study involved characterisation of molecules employed by wasps to parasitise pest insects by suppressing their immunity. He then undertook post-doctoral research at CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies developing drug-screening assays for compounds modulating the effect of G-protein-coupled Receptors.From 2006-2013, Dr Glatz was a Senior Research Scientist at SARDI Entomology in South Australia. During this time he played major roles in a series of projects primarily in biosecurity and sustainability of production systems. One major project aimed to develop an olfactory biosensor of stored grain pests (winning of CRC Plant Biosecurity Committee awards for Innovation and Science Impact). In 2011, he published a comprehensive review (in Progress in Neurobiology) of approaches and technologies associated with using biological tissues, cells and molecules of vertebrates and invertebrates, to either de-orphan olfactory receptors, or as biological sensing elements in biosensor applications.Some other achievements during this time were:
leading national Pine Aphid Biocontrol Project leading Revegetation at a Property Scale Project investigating use of native vegetation in horticultural systems leading work that validated the first known marker of prior irradiation in insects leading work to characterise wasp venom for insect immune disrupting compounds obtaining GRDC Innovation Award to develop aptamer detectors of fungal spores
Since 1998, Dr Glatz has been studying ecology of semi-arid/temperate systems in Australia, particularly mallee ecosystems. He has a close association with Kangaroo Island and has now produced the only insect collection specific to the island; it currently has over 30,000 specimens, with about 15,000

Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Molecular Mechanisms of Odorant Detection, 3D-Modeling, And Structure-Activity Relationships
Marie-Annick Persuy, Guenhaël Sanz, Anne Tromelin, Thierry Thomas-Danguin, Jean-François Gibrat and Edith Pajot-Augy Olfactory Signaling in Insects
Dieter Wicher Advances in the Identification and Characterization of Olfactory Receptors in Insects
Nicolas Montagné, Arthur de Fouchier, Richard D. Newcomb and Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly Olfactory Disruption: Towards Controlling Important Insect Vectors of Disease
Jackson T. Sparks, Jonathan D. Bohbot and Joseph C. Dickens Pheromone Reception in Moths: From Molecules to Behaviors
Jin Zhang, William B. Walker and Guirong Wang