The Potential of Olfactory Reception for Ultratrace Chemical Analysis,
Abstract
The research program on olfactory reception includes three main studies. The first is to isolate the proteins and measure their activity for detecting odors, the second is to determine as much as possible about the biophysics of the in vivo olfactory process and the third is to use the information obtained from the above studies in an attempt to simulate the olfactory process in an artificial system that can be used as a quantitative analytical instrument. Clearly the benefits to be derived from such a device are significant if one can develop a device that approximates the olfactory sensing capability of the biological entity. Although accurate data are unavailable, estimates of insect sensitivity to a pheremone approximate a few molecules per square centimeter. The detection limit for a trained dog detecting explosive residues appears to be in the picomolar per square centimeter region.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADP002920
Entities
People
- R. B. Murphy
Organizations
- New York University