Many potential applications for tunable odor detectors exist in medical diagnosis, toxic and explosive chemical detection, and food processing. Preliminary work for this application has developed the first known single-stranded DNA-Cy3 odor sensors for an artificial olfactory system. These DNA-Cy3 conjugates will provide a large array of novel odorant sensors dependent on DNA sequence and other conditions. A high throughput odor response screening process based on standard DNA library and microarray technologies is proposed here. This screening process will be used to identify sequences that have applications in a number of real-world health problems. Emission spectral analysis and DNA base swapping experiments will also be used to study mechanisms of DNA-Cy3 sensor odor response. Better understanding of the mechanisms involved in DNA-Cy3 odorant sensing will be valuable in developing an optimized detector system. The large array of sensors available in a DNA-based detector system will provide a powerful tool to find odorant sensors that will address health issues like lung cancer diagnosis, toxin and landmine detection, and spoilage in the food processing industry.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Individual Predoctoral NRSA for M.D./Ph.D. Fellowships (ADAMHA) (F30)
Project #
5F30DC006770-04
Application #
7227873
Study Section
Communication Disorders Review Committee (CDRC)
Program Officer
Cyr, Janet
Project Start
2004-05-01
Project End
2008-04-30
Budget Start
2007-05-01
Budget End
2008-04-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$37,693
Indirect Cost
Name
Tufts University
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
039318308
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02111