'Cybernose' for Detecting Wine Aromas
Staff Writer - July 22, 2006
A group of Australian scientists are studying the olfactory receptors of insect antennae while trying to develop a 'cybernose' able to detect aromas even in the smallest concentrations. Insects have the most sophisticated odor perception in the whole animal kingdom. In fact, some wasps are able to detect scents at concentrations of just one part per trillion.
Should the Australian scientists succeed, the new device would enable the detection of trichloroanisole (TCA, or cork taint), brettanomyces, and other wine defects which are caused by tiny amounts of unwanted chemicals.
Dr. Stephen Trowell, head of the Future Foods program on biosensors, funded by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO), is working on ways to use the insect receptors to develop the highly sensitive device.
"Each insect has about 60 different odor receptor proteins," said the researcher. "Some are fairly general. They might detect all short chain esters, for example. Others are more tightly tuned."
"We hope to tightly tune the 'cybernose' to detect taints such as Brett, cork taint and fire damage, which are caused by tiny amounts of chemical in wine," added Dr. Trowell.
"Animals get a pattern of responses from their multiple sensors, then they work out which odor belongs to what." Dr. Trowell plans to emulate such ability in the 'cybernose' by cloning the receptors and mimicking their behavior with electrical signals.
We look forward to being able to use such highly tuned tools, especially when suffering from a cold, or other olfactory-debilitating occurrence, or in odor-challenged environment.
| 
