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The unique and innovative Inscentinel olfaction technology has received intense media interest. Below are a number of press articles and releases highlighting the Inscentinel project.
BBC News. 5 September 2007
BBC News Live BBC News Pre-recorded
St Albans Observer. 2 February 2007
Video: Sniffer bees
CNN News 8 December 2006
Video: “Do you smell that?”
Daily Mail. 29 November 2006
Sniffer bees with a nose for explosives are set to make a major breakthrough in the war on terror
An extraordinary invention by a small British company is being praised by American scientists who have been testing it.
Researchers at Inscentinel Ltd, which has just three employees at its Harpenden, Herts, HQ, have developed an amazing "sniffer box" to harness the bees' incredible sense of smell.
Now Inscentinel is set to cash in when its box full of computer technology that turns honeybees into bomb detectors goes into mass production.
USA Today. 27 November 2006
The latest advance in bomb-sniffing technology relies on simple devices — honeybees
"Oh, yeah, there is a laugh factor there," says entomologist Timothy Haarmann of Los Alamos (N.M.) National Laboratory. "We walk into a room with security experts and say, 'We use bees,' so they have to shift gears."
But with defense researchers at places such as the federal Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency focusing on anti-terrorism measures, scientists are looking at nature's native soldiers, bees and wasps, to augment dogs widely used for bomb detection.
TVE - Hands on TV. Series 7: Programme 1 (of 8) - 'Animal Magic'. January 2006
Anti-Terror Sting - UK
With the rise in international terrorism, the need to detect explosives has never been so urgent. Scientists have been looking to harness animals' unique abilities such as the sense of smell. Their research turned to bees, which have an extremely sensitive scenting system that guides them to blooming plants, even from miles away. Scientists are now finding ways to use this ability to detect other things, such as explosives and drugs.
The Financial Times. 24 February 2006
Detecting Danger: Bloodhound bees to take the sting out of terrorism
Insects are being trained for a variety of roles - from sniffing out explosives to diagnosing tuberculosis, says Clive Cookson British bees are vying with American wasps to play a role as ultra-sensitive odour detectors, with applications that include sniffing out explosives, diagnosing disease and monitoring food quality. The insects are as sensitive as bloodhounds but can be "trained" far more quickly than dogs to recognise specific molecules.
New scientist. 22 April 2006. Magazine issue 2548, p 42-45
Sting operation
Nothing can evade the noses of this flying squad, Stephanie Pain discovers HALF a minute is all it takes. After three 10-second training sessions, Glen Rains's crack team of sniffers is ready for anything. They could be co-opted into the hunt for a corpse. They might join the search for a stash of Semtex or a consignment of drugs. Or they could have the more tedious job of checking luggage at the airport. Whatever the assignment, their role is the same: to pick up a scent no human nose can detect and pinpoint its source. These new recruits to the fight against crime are smaller, cheaper and more versatile than a sniffer dog, and more sensitive than an electronic "nose". They are wasps. Insects have exquisitely sensitive olfactory systems. Their antennae are covered with microscopic sensors that can detect the faintest odour. Some are also remarkably quick learners. So it is hardly surprising they have aroused the interest of the military and ...
The complete article is 2715 words long.
The Independent on Sunday. 7 May 2006
Sniffer bees: New flying squad in war against terror
By Martin Hodgson
Terrorists, beware the ultimate sting: a British company has developed a device to detect explosives at airports with the help of specially trained honey bees. In remarkable field trials completed this week, scientists have harnessed the insect's powerful sense of smell to track down samples of TNT, Semtex, gunpowder and other explosives hidden in shipments passing through a busy cargo airport.
The Sunday Telegraph. July 2005
Honey-bees will detect explosives - London under attack
Daily Mail. February 2003
Sniffer Bees - Insects trained to find explosives may help us win the war on terror
Financial Times. February 2003
Inside track: Alternative Technology. Harnessing the power of bees
Inscentinel press release. May 2002
British bees box in terrorists
Sunday Telegraph. July 2002
Shops send in bees to sniff out the sweet strawberries: Insects are trained to pick the best
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