Anslyn is notable for his work in developing designed receptors and
sensor arrays by incorporating
principal component analysis and
discriminant analysis to mimic human taste and smell. Prof. Anslyn developed a colorimetric sensor to distinguish
flavonoids (hydrolysis products of
tannins) between varietals of red wines. An analogous colorimetric sensor was developed to mimic human taste by positioning polymer microbeads on a silicon chip. In related research, Prof. Anslyn designed a
fluorometric chemical sensor consisting of a light-tight lego box and a smart phone to detect nerve agents such as
VX and
sarin. ==Awards==