- Taste Sensor・・・The tongue of human being consists of taste buds which contain gustatory cells. If a cell membrane of gustatory cells receives substances, it causes potential difference (membrane potential) between the inside and outside of it. It is sent to the brain as a signal and then recognized as a taste in accordance with various changes of membrane potentials. The Laboratory mimicked the said biological system and developed the Taste Sensor for the first time in the world that enables to measure the tastes by means of artificial lipid membranes which respond to each taste quality selectively. The Taste Sensor is an only-one and No. 1 science and technology in the world. Nowadays this Taste Sensor is used for development of new foods and quality control at food manufacturing lines as a measuring equipment to detect the tastes measurable by human being and to evaluate the tastes objectively. The Taste Sensor is a cutting-edge technology which combines biology, computing and electronics. For further applications of the technology, the Laboratory is pursuing to develop the Taste Sensor which could accept the taste qualities more selectively as well as to construct a five-sense database including taste which can be utilized in this IT society.
- Artificial olfactory system・・・In our laboratory, in developing the artificial olfactory system (odor sensor), a method of preparing a large number of sensors that recognize multiple types of chemical substances and pattern-recognizing the output with AI (artificial intelligence) is adopted. At present, identification and quantification of multiple chemical substances in the gas phase have been successful by fabricating 16 electrodes of 0.9 mm size on the same substrate and applying a receiving film with different electrochemical characteristics to the parts. Naturally, this artificial olfactory system can identify whiskey, brandy, wine, and ginjo sake, as well as beer types and Awamori types, which are Okinawan shochu. Its size has been reduced to 14 × 14 × 15 cm3. A few years later, we are considering installing it on a smartphone. In this IoT society, the artificial olfactory system is characterized by its convenience, speed, output close to human sensation, and portability, and is expected to penetrate the world as a science and technology that produces safety, security, and comfort.
- Ultrasensitive Odor Sensor・・・The Laboratory is developing an Odor Sensing System with ultra-high sensitivity which is more sensitive than a nose of a dog, which possesses ppt level sensitivity, in combination with an antibody coupled with selective targeted molecules and a surface plasmon resonance sensor. The relevant network constructed by that sensor system is applied not only to detect explosives at airports and trains but also to contribute to realize a safe and secure society by means of quality controls inclusive of foods and water.