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We developed a simple way to generate binary patterns based on spectral slopes in different frequency ranges at fluctuation-enhanced sensing. Such patterns can be considered as binary "fingerprints" of odors. The method has experimentally been demonstrated with a commercial semiconducting metal oxide (Taguchi) sensor exposed to bacterial odors (Escherichia coli and Anthrax-surrogate Bacillus subtilis) and processing their stochastic signals. With a single Taguchi sensor, the situations of empty chamber, tryptic soy agar (TSA) medium, or TSA with bacteria could be distinguished with 100% reproducibility. The bacterium numbers were in the range of 25 thousands to 1 million. To illustrate the relevance for ultra-low power consumption, we show that this new type of signal processing and pattern recognition task can be implemented by a simple analog circuitry and a few logic gates with total power consumption in the microWatts range., Comment: submitted for publication

We survey and show our earlier results about three different ways of fluctuation-enhanced sensing of bio agent, the phage-based method for bacterium detection published earlier; sensing and evaluating the odors of microbes; and spectral and amplitude distribution analysis of noise in light scattering to identify spores based on their diffusion coefficient., Comment: Invited paper for a special issue of IEEE Nanotechnology. It was Plenary Talk at the Nanoelectronic Devices for Defense and Security Conference, Fort Lauderdale, FL, October 1, 2009

We use the power density spectra obtained by fluctuation-enhanced sensing of bacterial odors (Escherichia coli and Anthrax-surrogate Bacillus subtilis) to generate new, highly distinguishable, types of patterns based on the average slope of the spectra in different frequency ranges. Such plots can be considered as "fingerprints" of bacterial odors. Three different ways of pattern generation are tested, including a simple binary version. The obtained patterns are simple enough to identify the situation by the naked eye without a pattern recognizer., Comment: Continuation of paper arXiv:0901.3100

The goal of this paper is to explore the possibility to detect and identify bacteria by sensing their odor via fluctuation-enhanced sensing with commercial Taguchi sensors. The fluctuations of the electrical resistance during exposure to different bacterial odors, Escherichia coli and anthrax-surrogate Bacillus subtilis, have been measured and analyzed. In the present study, the simplest method, the measurement and analysis of power density spectra was used. The sensors were run in the normal heated and the sampling-and-hold working modes, respectively. The results indicate that Taguchi sensors used in these fluctuation-enhanced modes are effective tools of bacterium detection and identification even when they are utilizing only the power density spectrum of the stochastic sensor signal., Comment: reference error fixed