SEMI113 Biohybrid Sensing Systems for Volatile Organic Compounds

The Department of Defense needs non-linear advances in the gas-phase sensing to identify chemical threats, toxic industrial compounds, and physiologic changes present in human breath. Currently, fieldable instruments for gas analysis are large (>0.5 cubic ft.), expensive (>$50,000), and slow. Hand-held devices are limited to the identification of specific targets such as nitrogen oxide, oxygen, and carbon dioxide or generalized estimated concentration of total volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Biohybrid sensing involves combining biological sensory elements with electronic components in a SWaP-C solution for fast and accurate detection of VOCs. Unprecedented VOS sensing potential lies within the biological sense of olfaction, which boasts rapid, selective, and sensitive capability to identify hundreds of thousands of compounds in complex environments. However, there are currently no commercially available devices harnessing the capability of olfaction due to the challenges in the bioelectronic interacting necessary for maintaining long-term stability and environmental conditions necessary to sustain olfactory signaling elements (whether it be at the organ-, cell-, or protein level). This course will provide an overview of the current state of biohybrid VOC sensing comparing and contrasting examples utilizing olfactory organ/tissue-based, cell-based, and protein-based modalities.

Course Objectives  

• Understanding the current state of biohybrid VOC sensing
• Compare and contrast examples utilizing olfactory organ/tissue-based and protein-based modalities
• Discuss the status of non-linear advances in gas-phase sensing to identify chemical threats, toxic industrial compounds, and physiological changes in human breath

Course Duration

120 minutes

Target Audience 

Managers, supervisors, engineers, technicians, and individuals working directly with biohybrid sensing, and/or FlexTech community members.

Requisite Knowledge 

None