How can one resist when an artificial nose project is given the name BOND? Apparently, just about everyone else except me. Ah well. The June 6, 2012 news item by Annette Oestrand on Nanowerk features an update about the work being done by Europe’s BOND (Bioelectronic Olfactory Neuron Device) project,

Artificial noses have, until now, been used to detect diseases such as urinary tract infection, Helicobacter pylori, tuberculosis, ear, nose and throat conditions and even lung cancer. They have also been clinically tested for use in continuous monitoring of different disease stages.

Now, a multidisciplinary research team with eight European partners is collaborating under a EU-funded project called Bioelectronic Olfactory Neuron Device, dubbed BOND. Their aim is to develop a very sensitive and selective device that can detect and distinguish different types of smells.

Here’s a bit more about BOND from the project home page,

Recently, the use of smell in different fields has been rediscovered due to major advances in odour sensing technology and artificial intelligence. However, current electronic noses, based on electronic sensors, have significant limitations concerning sensitivity, reliability and selectivity, amongst others. These limitations are at the basis of recurrent troubles of this technology to reach essential applications in different areas, such as food safety, diagnosis, security, environment…

The Bond Project proposes a new bioelectronic nose based on olfactory receptors in order to mimic the animal nose. For this aim, micro/nano, bio and information technologies will converge to develop an integrated bioelectronic analytical nanoplatform based on olfactory receptors for odour detection.

The scientific and technological challenges of the BOND project can only be solved by integrating a multidisciplinary consortium at European level with expertise in areas such as biotechnology, surface chemistry, nanofabrication, electronics and theoretical modelling. The partners involved in the BOND project are experienced partners used to work in large consortia with distributed laboratories all over the European Union and offer competences and resources to build a complementary partnership for the successful implementation of the nanobioplatform. Six of the eight partners have already successfully worked together in the European SPOT-NOSED project to produce a proof of concept of a bioelectronic sensor based on olfactory receptors.

There is a video about an application for the project, sniffing prostate (and other) cancers. From the Youris (European Research Media Center) webpage, Artificial Noses as Diseases Busters,

As noted earlier, artificial noses could also be put to work detecting explosives, contamination, and more.

Finally, for anyone who may not be familiar with the quote I paraphrased from the James Bond oeuvre, here’s a brief video,