The consortium of the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław and the Warsaw University of Life Sciences will implement the project “What does viral infection smell like?” Analysis of volatile organic compounds and the possibility of their detection in models of cell lines and mouse models”. 

Thanks to the funding of over PLN 1.3 million under the Sonata 16 competition of the National Science Center, researchers will check what smells, volatile organic compounds, arise as a result of viral infection. For the research, they will use dogs trained to detect one of the viruses and check the sensitivity and specificity of the detection in dogs.

The research will be used to create fragrance libraries for use in clinical gas chromatography and to improve electronic nose devices. They will also help to understand the mechanisms of detecting viral diseases as well as the sensitivity and specificity of such methods in a controlled study on model systems.