We report a floating electrode-based bioelectronic tongue mimicking insect taste systems for the detection and discrimination of umami substances. Here, carbon nanotube field-effect transistors with floating electrodes were hybridized with nanovesicles containing honeybee umami taste receptor, gustatory receptor 10 of Apis mellifera (AmGr10). This strategy enables us to discriminate between l-monosodium glutamate (MSG), best-known umami tastant, and non-umami substances with a high sensitivity and selectivity. It could also be utilized for the detection of MSG in liquid food such as chicken stock. Moreover, we demonstrated the synergism between MSG and disodium 5'-inosinate (IMP) for the umami taste using this platform. This floating electrode-based bioelectronic tongue mimicking insect taste systems can be a powerful platform for various applications such as food screening, and it also can provide valuable insights on insect taste systems.
Keywords: bioelectronic tongue; carbon nanotube; honeybee umami taste receptor; nanovesicle; umami taste.