Abstract
(English)
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The network of excellence GOSPEL (General Olfaction and Sensing Projects on a European Level) aims at establishing Europe as a world leader in (a) science, (b) technology development and (c) subsequent commercial exploitation of artificial olfaction and gas sensing. To this end GOSPEL will bundle leading European research groups and research efforts in a highly integrated and interactive network of excellence. The scientific goals include (1) thorough understanding of the biological sense of smell and mimic its relevant functions, (2) provision of an objective, quantitative assessment of gases and odours, and (3) provision of the means to monitor technically relevant and non-odorant gases even in complex mixtures. The latter goals will be pursued by developing multifunctional and intelligent, preferably monolithic microsensor systems, which will include sensors/transducers, actuation and driving units, as well as data processing and interface electronics. The wide range of expertise required for such a comprehensive research task includes very different disciplines of science (e.g., biology, neurology, medicine, electronics, microsystem engineering, mathematics computer science) and a host of various technologies and crystallizes around three focal points, the centres of excellence (CoE), one of which is dedicated to microsystem research ('hardware'), the second to the development of algorithms and data processing methods ('software'), and the third to fundamental research in biological olfaction and data processing ('biomimetic'). The results and concepts elucidated within the biomimetic CoE will serve as an innovation source and feed into the research of the other two CoEs in order to achieve significant advances in comparison to the state of the art. The technological center of gravity will be the development of highly integrated microsensor systems in silicon technology with the aims to improve the performance and functionality of such micro and nano-systems.
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