Summary of the impact

Richard Compton's group at the University of Oxford has developed an electrochemical sensor which uses multi-walled carbon nanotube electrodes to detect capsaicin molecules and related capsaicinoids — the chemicals responsible for the hot taste of chilli peppers. The technology, patented in 2008, has been licensed to the English Provender Company, which uses the sensors to perform quality assurance on 10 tonnes of incoming chillies every month, as well as monitoring reproducibility of finished products. In February 2013 Singapore-based Bio-X obtained an exclusive licence for the patent in Asia to develop, build and sell devices on a global basis. The science behind the technology has been the subject of significant outreach activities at UK schools, and has attracted extensive media interest.