Researchers from Vageningen University in the Netherlands adapted bees to determine the coronavirus by smell. This is reported by the Israeli publication CURSORINFO.CO.IL with reference to the press service of the university.
It is noted that within the framework of the tests conducted, scientists used 150 bees. Initially, they were trained by encouraging sugar syrup after each detection of samples infected with coronavirus.
As a result, the bees due to their superpower learned literally to determine the coronavirus in a few minutes.
“Coronavirus, like other diseases, causes metabolic changes in the body, because of which the smell appears. The bees can be taken in minutes to learn to recognize the smell of samples infected by SARS-COV-2,” researchers say.
in their opinion, such a system can work very effectively in poor countries, which lack funds for the purchase of modern diagnostic systems.
Next, scientists plan to expand their studies. According to experts, insectsense has already developed the first prototypes of the device capable of teaching several bees at once.