Prototype odorant receptors for an artificial olfactory system

University of Kiel

Flexible

35h / week

English B2

Insect olfactory systems process odorants in a fast manner and allow them chemically monitor their environment. Recreating this system offers tremendous potential for various applications from the identification of explosives to medical applications. The project SYnthetic biology & Neuromorphic computing for CHemosensory perception (SYNCH) aims to do exactly that. Throughout the project, different insect receptors will be expressed and tested and finally applied to a sensor surface on which their reaction to different odorants can be processed.

Tasks and duties entrusted to the student:
Insect olfactory systems process odorants in a fast manner and allow them chemically monitor their environment. Recreating this system offers tremendous potential for various applications from the identification of explosives to medical applications. The project SYnthetic biology & Neuromorphic computing for CHemosensory perception (SYNCH) aims to do exactly that. Throughout the project, different insect receptors will be expressed and tested and finally applied to a sensor surface on which their reaction to different odorants can be processed.

Skills to be acquired or developed:
The student will work with state of the art methods synthetic biology. Part of the development of an artifical olfactory system. Test of possible receptor systems with fluorescence assays and fluorescence microscopy.

Prof. Dr. Jan Steinkühler
jst@tf.uni-kiel.de
+49 (0431) 880 - 6080

Larissa Hildebrandt
lh@tf.uni-kiel.de
+49 (0431) 880 - 6312