Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my advisors, Prof. A. Dietrich and Prof. J.T. Novak for their guidance, support and great patience during the course of my studies. Dr. Novak, You often helped me above and beyond the duties of mentorship, Thank you. Dr. Dietrich, you know very well that without your help and supervision, I would not have finished this research. I really appreciate the long hours you spent with me discussing and improving my research, lot of thanks. I would like to thank Dr. Daniels for his valuable suggestions. He often added new scopes to my research. Great appreciation is given to Dr. Gallagher for his advices and the valuable information in many fields. Furthermore, much gratefulness is extended to Dr. J.M. Hughes for his comments and valuable questions, especially during my prelim exam, which added new information and knowledge. Special thanks go to Gody Smiley, Julie Petruska and Betty Wingate for their help during the course of this study. Special thanks are also extended to all the graduate students in the Testing and Odor Lab for their help