IP Library Granted Patent US 11,460,469
Granted Patent B2
US 11,460,469 · App. 16/572,351 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Biosensor for detecting smell, scent, and taste

Inventors: Chris Hanson (Sunnyvale, CA); William Harries (Boulder Creek, CA); Victor Todd Cushman (Wilmington, DE); Ed Costello (Pleasanton, CA)
Assignee: Aromyx Corporation
G01N33/566G01N21/77G01N33/554G01N33/56961G01N2333/726Y02A50/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,460,469
App. No.
16/572,351
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to biosensors for detecting odorants, especially a biosensor that mimics odorant detection by a mammal, for example, humans, dogs or cats. The field of the invention also related to the standardization of odors for scent, smell and taste using the biosensor of the invention, and the discovery of agonists, antagonists, and mixtures of odorants for creating new odors, masking odors, enhancing odors, and designing odors.

Claims (51)

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of biosensors, each biosensor comprising a heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor in a membrane fraction of a host cell;

a reporter coupled to the heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor, wherein the reporter produces a signal upon binding of the heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor to an odorant;

a detector that measures the signal produced by the reporter; and

a database comprising a plurality of Aromagraphs.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host cell is a yeast cell.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host cell is a mammalian cell.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor is at least one from the OR1 family, OR2 family, OR3 family, OR4 family, OR5 family, OR6 family, OR7 family, OR8 family, OR9 family, OR10 family, OR11 family, OR12 family, OR13 family, OR14 family, OR51 family, OR52 family, OR55 family, or OR56 family.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor is at least one from the OR1 family.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor from the OR1 family is OR1A1.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of biosensors comprise the same heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of biosensors comprise different heterologous mammalian olfactory receptors.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the different heterologous mammalian olfactory receptors are from different olfactory receptor families.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the odorant is associated with a characteristic smell, odor, or aroma of a composition.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the odorant is associated with a characteristic taste of a composition.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the odorant is in the gaseous phase.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the odorant is in solution.

14. A method of identifying one or more odorants in a composition comprising adding the composition to the system of claim 1 , and identifying the one or more odorants by detecting the signal produced by the reporter.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein signal is detected from the one or more odorants in the gaseous phase.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal is detected from the one or more odorants in solution.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the heterologous mammalian human olfactory receptor is at least one from the OR1 family, OR2 family, OR3 family, OR4 family, OR5 family, OR6 family, OR7 family, OR8 family, OR9 family, OR10 family, OR11 family, OR12 family, OR13 family, OR14 family, OR51 family, OR52 family, OR55 family, or OR56 family.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the heterologous mammalian human olfactory receptor is at least one from the OR1 family.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the at least one heterologous mammalian human olfactory receptor from the OR1 family is OR1A1.

20. A system comprising:

a plurality of biosensors, each biosensor comprising a heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor from the OR1 family, OR2 family, OR3 family, OR4 family, OR5 family, OR6 family, OR7 family, OR8 family, OR9 family, OR10 family, OR11 family, OR12 family, OR13 family, OR14 family, OR51 family, OR52 family, OR55 family, OR56 family, or a combination thereof, expressed in a host cell, the host cell further comprising a reporter coupled to the heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor, and human G protein subunits Gα, Gβ, and Gγ, wherein the reporter produces a signal upon binding of the heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor to an odorant;

a detector that measures the signal produced by the reporter; and

a database comprising a plurality of Aromagraphs.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of biosensors comprise the same heterologous mammalian olfactory receptor.

22. The system of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of biosensors comprise different heterologous mammalian olfactory receptors.

23. The system of claim 20 , wherein the odorant is associated with a characteristic smell, odor, or aroma of a composition.

24. The system of claim 20 , wherein the odorant is associated with a characteristic taste of a composition.

25. The system of claim 20 , wherein the odorant is in the gaseous phase.

26. The system of claim 20 , wherein the odorant is in solution.

27. The system of claim 20 , wherein the heterologous human olfactory receptor is from the OR1 family.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the heterologous human olfactory receptor from the OR1 family is OR1A1.

29. The system of claim 20 , wherein the host cell is a yeast cell.

30. The system of claim 20 , wherein the host cell is a mammalian cell.

31. The system of claim 20 , wherein the reporter is a fluorescent reporter, a bioluminescent reporter, an enzyme, or an ion channel.

32. A method for identifying one or more odorants in a composition comprising:

exposing a plurality of biosensors to the composition, each biosensor comprising an olfactory receptor expressed in a host cell, the host cell further expressing a reporter coupled to the olfactory receptor, wherein the reporter produces a signal upon binding of the olfactory receptor to the one or more odorants; and

identifying the one or more odorants by detecting the signal produced by the reporter,

wherein the olfactory receptor is a heterologous mammalian human olfactory receptor from the OR1 family, OR2 family, OR3 family, OR4 family, OR5 family, OR6 family, OR7 family, OR8 family, OR9 family, OR10 family, OR11 family, OR12 family, OR13 family, OR14 family, OR51 family, OR52 family, OR55 family, OR56 family, or a combination thereof, and

wherein the odorant is associated with a characteristic scent, odor, aroma, or taste of the composition.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the host cell further expresses human G protein subunits Gα, Gβ, and Gγ.

34. The method of claim 32 , further comprising generating an Aromagraph from the detected signals produced by the reporters.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein the composition is recreated according to the Aromagraph.

36. The method of claim 34 , wherein the Aromagraph is used to remediate a malodor.

37. The method of claim 32 , wherein the host cell is a yeast cell.

38. The method of claim 32 , wherein the host cell is a mammalian cell.

39. The method of claim 32 , wherein signal is detected from the one or more odorants in the gaseous phase.

40. The method of claim 32 , wherein the signal is detected from the one or more odorants in solution.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2023
From: AROMYX CORPORATION
To: SUNTORY HOLDINGS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064970/0355 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2019
From: HANSON, CHRIS; HARRIES, WILLIAM; CUSHMAN, VICTOR TODD; COSTELLO, ED
To: AROMYX CORP.
Reel/Frame 050464/0294 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15441062 · Feb 23, 2017
Provisional Application 62299005 · Feb 24, 2016
Related Publication 20200003774A1 · Jan 2, 2020