• Bee venom used to create ultra-sensitive explosives sensor
    8 replies, posted
[quote=Engaget] We knew that well-trained bees were capable of sniffing out dynamite and other explosives, but researchers at MIT have now come up with a slightly less militant way to use our winged friends as bomb detectors. A team of chemical engineers at the school recently developed a new, ultra-sensitive sensor that's sharp enough to detect even one molecule of TNT. Their special ingredient? Bee venom. Turns out, a bee's poison contains protein fragments called bombolitins, that react to explosive compounds. To create the detector, researchers applied these bombolitins to naturally fluorescent carbon nanotubes. Whenever an explosive molecule binds with the protein fragments, the interaction will alter the wavelength of the carbon cylinder's fluorescent light. The shift is too small for the naked eye to pick up on, but can be detected using specially designed microscopes. If it's ever developed for commercial use, the sensor could provide a more acute alternative to the spectrometry-based detectors used at most airport security checkpoints. At the moment, however, the technology isn't quite ready to be deployed on a widespread basis, so feel free to keep on living in fear. Full PR after the break. [/quote] Source: [url]http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/bee-venom-used-to-create-ultra-sensitive-explosives-sensor/[/url] FUCK.
Wow. Bee venom, of all things. :v:
It's strange how natural substances can be used like this.
I bet there will [b]bee[/b] a [b]buzz[/b] in the security market after this gets widespread. Still pretty cool, but does this mean they would have explosive molecules just floating around to detect? Needs more science.
[QUOTE]Bombolotins[/QUOTE] That sounds made up for the situation.
doesn't that kill the bees? :saddowns:
[quote]researchers applied these bombolitins to naturally fluorescent carbon nanotubes[/quote] Awesome
Visit an old mine as a tourist attraction Go to airport months later, get arrested on suspicion of terrorism.
[QUOTE=archangel125;29739962]Visit an old mine as a tourist attraction Go to airport months later, get arrested on suspicion of terrorism.[/QUOTE] You don't even need to do that, with current sniffers (and probably this one), all you need to do is have a suitcase of cured meats.
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