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Olfaction

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The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Published on: August 27, 2021

Biohybrid sensor for odor detection.

Yusuke Hirata¹, Haruka Oda¹, Toshihisa Osaki²

¹Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. takeuchi@hybrid.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp.

|June 16, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Biohybrid odorant sensors leverage biological olfactory systems for ultrasensitive detection. This review covers their development, on-site application requirements, and future potential for practical gas sensing.

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Area of Science:

Biotechnology
Sensor Technology
Olfactory Systems

Background:

Biohybrid odorant sensors integrate biological olfactory systems for enhanced sensitivity and selectivity.
These sensors represent a promising next generation for ultrasensitive gas detection.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent developments in biohybrid odorant sensors.
To discuss requirements for on-site applications, including signal capture, gas detection, stability, quality control, and portability.
To explore advancements in multiple odorant recognition and ligand-receptor screening.

Main Methods:

Review of methodologies for capturing biological signals from olfactory systems.
Analysis of essential properties for gaseous detection, stability, quality control, and portability.
Examination of progress in multi-sensor arrays and orphan receptor-ligand screening.

Main Results:

Detailed description of recent advancements in biohybrid odorant sensor technology.
Identification of key requirements for practical on-site sensor applications.
Progress in achieving multiple odorant recognition and expanding sensor capabilities through screening.

Conclusions:

Biohybrid odorant sensors offer significant potential for ultrasensitive and selective gas detection.
Further development is needed to meet the demands of practical, on-site applications.
Future research should focus on enhancing sensor range, stability, and multi-analyte capabilities.