Scientists at the Clark School of Engineering have been developing new sensor technology incorporating living olfactory cells on microchips. The cells are kept in place by means of tiny electrical fields on the chips, and their health is tracked by sensors on the chip. Because the sensors are incorporating real biological cells, they are expected to vastly improve upon current biochemical detection technology.
To give you a clue about potential applications of the technology, the research is being funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Defense Intelligence Agency. Other possible uses seem to be limited only by the imagination. The sensors could detect explosives, spoiled food, and any number of chemicals. A patent application is currently pending.
Many more details are available in the full press release from the University of MD: “New Cell-Based Sensors Sniff Out Danger Like Bloodhounds.”
