Its aim is to use the partners’ collective expertise in micro/nano-, bio- and information technologies to develop an integrated bioelectronic analytical nanoplatform based on olfactory receptors for odour detection – essentially, a new bioelectronic ‘nose’ that will mimic the animal nose.
This midterm project meeting was led by Josep Samitier and Gabriel Gomila, the project’s coordinator and technical manager respectively. Its objective was to review the main results obtained by the partners during the first period of the project and the new strategies that the consortium will adopt for the exploitation of the new technology developed. The main components of the BOND device, including the bio elements, the olfactory receptors, and the electronic components, the nanoelectrodes, have already been developed, and the consortium will now focus on their integration into a full prototype.
“With the use of smell in different fields being rediscovered due to major advances in odour sensing technology and artificial intelligence, the BOND nose will overcome the current limitations concerning sensitivity, reliability and selectivity seen in existing devices based on electronic sensors,” explains Josep. “The ultimate goal is to provide a user-friendly system and interface for the detection and discrimination of odorants in a variety of environments, with two particular areas of focus: food safety, and clinical diagnosis applications – for example, prostate cancer detection from urine samples.”
