Chip learns how to determine flavors

Collection of chemical data will help determine impact on fruit’s flavor, health effects


Maarten Jongsma of Plant Research International is working on technologies that allow a chip to react to organic material. Eventually one chip may be able to determine the flavor of a tomato.
The flavor technology involves attaching dozens of receptor genes for various flavor molecules to a chip. A layer of human cells is then grown over the chip of which the cells can absorb and express the genes. Finally, a microchannel is pressed over the top. Once the flavor molecules pass the cells via the microchannel, they connect to their own receptor. This results in a signal inside the cell which can be identified by microscope.
Jongsma said the pattern of reactions like a fingerprint tell the specific flavor. He said researchers will need to learn how to interpret the fingerprint. Information from four tomato breeding companies on how human tasters evaluated a tomato is used to study what the fingerprint says about flavor.

Jongsma said the technology is relevant to automated flavor tests as well as estimating the fruit’s health effects.