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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay
Published on: October 2, 2017
A new concept of olfactory biosensor based on interdigitated microelectrodes and immobilized yeasts expressing the
Mouna Marrakchi1, Jasmina Vidic, Nicole Jaffrezic-Renault
1CEGELY, UMR-CNRS 5005, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36 Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134, Ecully Cedex, France. mounamarrakchi@yahoo.fr
Abstract:
This work shows the feasibility of an olfactory biosensor based on the immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells genetically modified to express the human olfactory receptor OR17-40 onto interdigitated microconductometric electrodes. This olfactory biosensor has been applied to the detection of its specific odorant (helional) with a high sensitivity (threshold 10(-14) M). In contrast, no significant response was observed using a non-specific odorant (heptanal), which suggests a good selectivity. Thus, this work may represent a first step towards a new kind of bioelectronic noses based on whole yeast cells and allowing a real time monitoring of olfactory receptor activation.
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