We have analyzed the potentiality of a mixed array merging the nanowire and thin film metal oxide technologies to develop an electronic nose as a tool to monitor the human skin and food pathogen microbiota. Nanowire and thin film sensors have been fabricated, characterized and then integrated together to develop a hybrid device that can enhance the sensing performance. Different blends of microorganisms grown in artificial sweat have been tested. Classical techniques, like gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with solid phase micro extraction (SPME) have been employed in parallel, in order to have a multidisciplinary approach and a consistent data set. The obtained results demonstrate the potentiality of the proposed electronic nose to discriminate between the different blends of microorganisms and to follow up microbiota growth inside the blends.
Contact person: Estefanìa Nùñez Carmona, INO Brescia