A man's best friend

According to today's Daily Telegraph honeybees could soon be used in the fight against terrorism. They have been trained to extend their proboscis when they detect explosives, just as they would do in the wild when gathering nectar for honey. Incentinel, the company behind the project based in Hertfordshire, thought that this trait could be used to fight terrorism. They condition the bees by giving them a reward of sugary water when they sense explosives. The bees are then placed in a "sniffer box", which holds thirty-six bees, and air from outside is sucked in. If explosives are detected the bees will extend their proboscis, and a signal will pass from the optical system inside the container to a computer.
The head of research and development at Incentinel, Mathilde Brians, claimed: "The advantage of bees over other animals is that they are really sensitive, cheap and are everywhere in the world". The device is not yet available, but is funded by the Home Office OSCT (Office for Security and Counter Terrorism), and the company say it has carried out successful tests alongside the government.
So, it looks like sniffer dogs may be about to be replaced by a slightly less cuddly companion.