Olfactory mucosa tissue-based biosensor: A bioelectronic nose with receptor cells in intact olfactory epithelium

The biological olfactory system can distinguish thousands of different odors. Bioelectronic nose based on olfactory cells can be developed to realize the biomimetic design of an electronic nose. In this study, olfactory mucosa tissue of rat was isolated and fixed onto the surface of a light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS), with the natural state of the neuronal populations and functional receptor units of the cilia well preserved. The electrical properties of the tissue–semiconductor interface were analyzed by the volume conductor theory and the sheet conductor model. Then, the local field extracellular potentials of the receptor cells in the olfactory mucosa tissue were simulated and monitored. The results suggested that this tissue–semiconductor hybrid system was sensitive to odorants stimulus. We believe that the receptor cell-based biosensor technology is a valuable tool to record data with high information content with respect to odors stimulation in the intact cellular environment of the olfactory epithelium. Due to the advantages of intact epithelium, this novel technology will potentially bridge the gap between conventional in vitro methods and complex in vivo experiments for a bioelectronic nose.