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Inscentinel Ltd.
Rothamsted Research
Harpenden, Hertfordshire
AL5 2JQ, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1582 763133 (x 2713)
inscentinel@bbsrc.ac.uk
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Inscentinel Ltd is a biotechnology company specialising in harnessing the olfactory ability of insects for trace vapour detection.
Our primary focus is the development of a new generation of handheld portable detectors, through the use of live honeybees. This unique Inscentinel Technology offers sensitive vapour detection coupled with distinct operational advantages.
The science is based on the acute olfactory sense of honeybees. Bees are trained to recognise particular odours (e.g. that of explosives) and associate that smell with a food reward. When the bees detect the odour, they extend their tongue or proboscis (the Proboscis Extension Reflex or PER) in expectation of food.
When used for detection, a sample of air is presented to the bees and if an odour is present they indicate this through extending their proboscis. This is picked up by a camera internal to the detector and interpreted by image recognition software.
Honeybees make excellent detectors because they are inexpensive, quick to train (a few minutes per bee) and have extremely low limits of detection (odours can be detected to parts per trillion levels). Our prototype instrument is a black box to the outside world and does not require an expert handler. Future detectors will be capable of screening multiple substances by holding a range of bees trained to different chemicals.
Our system has the potential to be deployed rapidly and quickly retargetted to new compounds when required. There is a large scope of possible applications ranging from explosives and drug detection to the diagnosis of tuberculosis and food spoilage.
Inscentinel has collaborated with many companies and institutions and actively seeks commercial partners with whom to deploy this technology.