Cell-Based Olfactory Sensing for Biometrics [48U08UMDabsh]

与化学传感器进行比较的黄金标准是狗？的鼻子。然而，训练狗是昂贵的，每天只能使用几个小时。通过检测嗅觉感觉神经元（OSNs）产生的电信号，应该可以实现高灵敏度，高特异性，高速，对峙检测痕量的化合物与挥发性的人类化合物的特征的性别，压力，个人？指纹？和各种医疗条件。 该团队计划开发一种用于人体生物特征表征的小型化系统，最初使用永生细胞系检测人体化合物，然后开发使用人工粘膜，薄膜，连续灌注水或组合直接检测空气中气味的技术。 基于细胞的化学传感器将通过生物识别检测之外的各种应用产生广泛的社会效益：爆炸物检测，食品和空气监测，基于气味的医疗诊断，机场药物检测和药物筛选，仅举几例。该项目将支持两名全职研究生研究助理。PI积极参与研究生和本科生的教育以及跨学科课程开发。 PI在指导和支持来自代表性不足群体的学生以及开发和支持培训和促进这些学生的计划方面表现出了良好的记录。

The gold standard against which chemical sensors are compared is the dog?s nose. However, dogs are expensive to train and can only be used a few hours per day. By detecting the electrical signals produced by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), it should be possible to achieve high-sensitivity, high-specificity, high-speed, stand-off detection of trace amounts of compounds associated with volatile human compounds characteristic of gender, stress, individual ?fingerprint?, and various medical conditions. The team plans to develop a miniaturized system for human biometric characterization using, initially immortalized cell lines for detection of human compounds and then developing techniques for direct detection of airborne odorants using artificial mucous, thin membranes, continuous perfusion with water or a combination. Cell-based chemical sensors will have broad societal benefits through diverse applications, outside of biometric detection: explosives detection, monitoring food and air, odor-based medical diagnosis, drug detection in airports, and screening of pharmaceuticals, to name a few. This project will support two full time graduate research assistants. The PIs are actively engaged in educating graduate and undergraduate students and interdisciplinary curricular development. The PIs have demonstrated strong track records of mentoring and supporting students from underrepresented groups and of developing and supporting programs that train and promote these students.