UMass's ‘Electronic Nose’ Included in 'Listverse' Compilation of 'Confounding New Inventions'

Content

E. coli bacterial cultures.

Image

Specific molecules stick to nanowires grown on genetically modified E. coli. Image Credit: UMass Amherst.

Back in 2023, researchers at UMass Amherst's College of Natural Science and College of Engineering—including Derek Lovley, Distinguished Professor of Microbiology—announced that they had engineered an innovative “electronic nose” grown by microbes, designed to detect chemical tracers in the body. By splicing the DNA of E. coli, the team coaxed the bacteria into producing nanowires, which they then shaped into a highly sensitive biosensor. 

This living device can identify disease markers in sweat or breath, offering a noninvasive way to monitor conditions such as kidney disease and asthma. Beyond its medical potential, the technology is stable, low-cost, and biodegradable—making it a promising tool for future diagnostics.

It's so promising, in fact, that Listverse recently included the tool in its recent "Ten Confounding New Inventions from the World of Biomedicine" list.

"Researchers use bacteria to build the sensitive sniffer. E. coli microbes have their DNA spliced to inspire them to grow tiny nanowires. Researchers then sculpt those wires into the electronic nose. Scientists boast that the design is stable, cost-effective, and biodegradable. It can recognize chemical tracers in sweat on the skin or in a patient’s breath."

— Listverse

Read more on Listverse.