London: Researchers in Netherlands are working on bees which will be able to smell and detect samples infected with COVID-19. This will reduce waiting time to just seconds.
Scientists at a laboratory at Wageningen University gave bees sugary water as a reward after showing them samples infected with COVID-19. There was no reward for being shown a non-infected sample.
The bees got used to the system, and would hence spontaneously extend their tongues to receive a reward when shown an infected sample.
The extension of the bees’ straw-like tongues is an affirmation of a positive COVID-19 result.
The response is immediate and the method is cheap. Hence it can be used in places where there is a shortage in test kits.
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