Researchers in Europe and the US have discovered a method to enhance the ability of electronic noses to pick up scents. By coating sensors with synthetic mucus, the machines had their distinguishing and pick-up functions enhanced.

No, these aren't noses that fit into people's faces to replace that part which might have been lost to disfiguration. These artificial noses are used mostly in the food industry and medical diagnostic tools.

By emulating how the human nose uses the moisture to strengthen the sense of smell, machines can perform tasks such as quality control and sniffing of diseases. By imitating olfactory response patterns, the range and variety of artificial smelling grows. "Compared to the olfactory system, they neither mimic the complexity or the structure," says Dr. James Cavington.

Essentially, the mucus makes for much more efficient smelling because it breaks down odor molecules as they enter the receptors. This means that different molecules with different weights arrive at different speeds. That establishes a pattern that the brain processes, thus giving people the ability to distinctly identify scents. Scientists are hoping to do the same with machines.