Electronic nose mimics dogs' cancer-detection skills

Odors can be clues to a variety of conditions, such as the presence of explosives or even diseases. Dogs are well known detection agents for bombs and illicit drugs, and they have even shown an ability to detect cancer tumors.

Of course, a dog's accuracy and repeatability in cancer detection is difficult to quantify. As an alternative, Monica Rozenfeld of The Institute is reporting that IEEE Member A.T. Charlie Johnson, a physics professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and his team have developed a DNA-coated nanosensor that can sense the odor from cancerous human skin cells.

Working with collaborators at the Monell Center, a research laboratory focused on the senses of smell and taste, Rozenfeld writes, “Johnson’s team was able to identify dimethyl sulfone, a volatile organic compound (VOC) specific to melanoma.”

She writes that Johnson's research was spurred on by the performance of dogs' olfactory systems. Johnson's electronic nose could be ready for deployment in clinical settings within two years.