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The purpose of this paper is to review recent progress in electronic nose technologies, focusing on hybrid systems combining biological elements with physical transducers.

Electronic nose technologies are moving rapidly towards hybrid bioelectronic systems, where biological odour-recognition elements from the olfactory pathways of vertebrates and insects are being utilised to construct new “bionic noses” that can be used in industrial applications.

With the increased understanding of how chemical senses and the brain function in biology, an emerging field of “neuromorphic olfaction” has arisen.

Important components are olfactory receptor proteins and soluble proteins found at the periphery of olfaction called odorant-binding proteins. The idea is that these proteins can be incorporated into transducers and function as biorecognition elements for volatile compounds of interest.

Major drivers are the security, environmental and medical applications, and the internet of things will be a major factor in implementing low-cost chemical sensing in networked applications for the future.

Widespread take up of new technologies that are cheap will minimise the impact of environmental pollution, increase food safety and may potentially help in non-invasive screening for medical ailments.

This review brings together diverse threads of research leading to a common theme that will inform a non-expert of recent developments in the field.