A set of gold nanoparticles with various coatings can identify proteins by mimicking the way the human nose distinguishes scents. US researchers are using them to detect signs of illness in bodily fluids.
"In your nose there are a variety of receptors that all react in slightly different ways to compounds," says Vince Rotello from the University of Massachusetts, US. Instead of having a specific sensor for each smell, the nose responds to the pattern of responses produced by multiple, generalised receptors.
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