Nanovesicle-based bioelectronic nose platform mimicking human olfactory signal transduction

We developed a nanovesicle-based bioelectronic nose (NBN) that could recognize a specific odorant and mimic the receptor-mediated signal transmission of human olfactory systems. To build an NBN, we combined a single-walled carbon nanotube-based field effect transistor with cell-derived nanovesicles containing human olfactory receptors and calcium ion signal pathways. Importantly, the NBN took advantages of cell signal pathways for sensing signal amplification, enabling ∼100 times better sensitivity than that of previous bioelectronic noses based on only olfactory receptor protein and carbon nanotube transistors. The NBN sensors exhibited a human-like selectivity with single-carbon-atomic resolution and a high sensitivity of 1 fM detection limit. Moreover, this sensor platform could mimic a receptor-meditated cellular signal transmission in live cells. This sensor platform can be utilized for the study of molecular recognition and biological processes occurring at cell membranes and also for various practical applications such as food screening and medical diagnostics.

► Nanovesicles containing hOR2AG1 derived from HEK-293 cells as sensing elements.
► CNT-based sensor transducers were functionalized with nanovesicles.
► Nanovesicle-based bioelectronic nose exhibited the human-like detection of amylbutyrate.
► Nanovesicle-based bioelectronic nose could mimic the receptor-mediated signal pathway of human olfactory systems.