Highly sensitive and selective odorant sensor using living cells expressing insect olfactory receptors

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Aug 31;107(35):15340-4. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1004334107. Epub 2010 Aug 23.

Abstract

This paper describes a highly sensitive and selective chemical sensor using living cells (Xenopus laevis oocytes) within a portable fluidic device. We constructed an odorant sensor whose sensitivity is a few parts per billion in solution and can simultaneously distinguish different types of chemicals that have only a slight difference in double bond isomerism or functional group such as -OH, -CHO and -C(=O)-. We developed a semiautomatic method to install cells to the fluidic device and achieved stable and reproducible odorant sensing. In addition, we found that the sensor worked for multiple-target chemicals and can be integrated with a robotic system without any noise reduction systems. Our developed sensor is compact and easy to replace in the system. We believe that the sensor can potentially be incorporated into a portable system for monitoring environmental and physical conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biosensing Techniques / instrumentation
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Electrodes
  • Female
  • Insect Proteins / genetics
  • Insect Proteins / metabolism
  • Insect Proteins / physiology*
  • Membrane Potentials / physiology
  • Oocytes / metabolism
  • Oocytes / physiology*
  • Receptors, Odorant / genetics
  • Receptors, Odorant / metabolism
  • Receptors, Odorant / physiology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Xenopus laevis

Substances

  • Insect Proteins
  • Receptors, Odorant