Scientists say they are a step closer to developing a sensor which mimics the workings of the human nose.

- 04 / 10 / 2008 12:58

The US researchers claim to have overcome one of the biggest hurdles - mass production of proteins called "olfactory receptors".

The average human has 100 million - and the MIT team say their technology could one day "sniff out" certain cancers which have distinctive chemical scents.

Many researchers worldwide are working on "E-noses", which detect the same molecules that make up the scents we recognise.

These potentially have a wide range of uses, in industry and medicine.

However, while many rely on sensors constructed from artificial materials, the US researchers are working on a sensor with the biology of the human nose at its centre.

The human nose detects many different combinations of molecules, which are then interpreted by the brain.

It has around 300 varieties of olfactory receptors in the membrane surrounding cells lining the nasal passages, with each binding onto different kinds of molecule.

Efforts to manufacture artificial receptors in the numbers needed have previously failed, as their structure simply breaks down if they are removed from the specific environment found in the membrane and exposed to moisture.

The researchers said that any device they developed could be used to aid diagnosis of diseases, such as bladder, skin and lung cancers which all can give off distinctive molecules.

Reuters