Cyrano Sciences, Pasadena, California, is announcing the availability of the Cyranose 320, a portable electronic nose weighing 32 ounces or less with a 10-second response time for detecting volatile compounds in the field. The handheld device relies on a 32-channel composite polymer sensor array for detecting and identifying chemicals, and it offers connection ports for downloading data and a graphic LCD with back-lighting. Pricing for the new portable e-nose product will be under $8,000. Cyrano plans to market its products for use in the field rather than in laboratory settings. The innovative electronic nose technology was invented at the California Institute of Technology, and it is exclusively licensed to Cyrano. The proprietary chemical sensing array technology is fast, detects multiple odors, operates in diverse environments without requiring special sample preparation or isolation of the sensing unit, and frees the user from having to clean the system between tests. The handheld units are battery operated. Cyrano intends to develop smaller, lower-cost chip-based products, such as a silicon-based Nose Chip(TM) that could contain up to 10,000 individual sensors. Environmental applications for the technology include detecting leaks in pipelines and storage containers, profiling airborne contaminants, identifying chemicals in toxic spills, and monitoring water quality. Cyrano formed a collaborative e- nose R&D agreement with Hewlett-Packard in January 1999. The agreement is now with Agilant Technologies, which was formed when HP made a strategic realignment into two independent companies. Contact: Cyrano Sciences, Inc., (626) 744-1700; or visit http://www.cyranosciences.com.