Research groups such as the University of Tokyo have announced that they have succeeded in artificially creating a protein that mosquitoes smell based on genes and using it as a highly sensitive sensor, and we are aiming for practical application with repeated improvements. ..
It is known that mosquitoes that suck animal blood, etc., detect even a small amount of an odorous component called octenol contained in sweat, which is a protein in the antennae.
Research groups such as Professor Shoji Takeuchi of the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, the University of Tokyo have artificially created a protein that senses octenol based on mosquito genes.
Then, by incorporating this protein into a film of fats and oils, we have developed a sensor that applies the principle that mosquitoes smell, such as measuring the weak electricity generated when octenol is detected.
By sending the gas to be examined into the sensor, it was possible to detect even 0.5 ppb of octenol, which is far below the level that ordinary people perceive as an odor.
According to the research group, it is the first time to develop a sensor that artificially detects odor components based on biological genes with high sensitivity, so we would like to make improvements such as improving durability and aim for practical use. It is said.
Professor Takeuchi said, "Odors are often better in the sense of smell of living things than in conventional machines, and we would like to use them for detection of chemical substances and explosives and for applications such as medical sensors." I was talking.