E. coli bacteria turned into nanowire factory for artificial nose

The mighty snouts on dogs are famously known for their abilities to sniff out everything from disease to explosives, but science is quickly catching up with its own range of artificial noses. Now, in the most recent breakthrough in this exciting field, researchers have used genetically modified E. coli bacteria to spin electrically conductive nanowires capable of detecting the odor molecules created by kidney disease. What's more, they say their microbial manufacturing plant can be tuned to create other wires to pick up even more medical conditions.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, ScienceTags: Bacteria, Electronic Nose, kidney, Odor, Ammonia, University of Massachusetts, Sensor