Could a sniffer device change airport security?

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When it comes to searching for explosives, sniffing dogs are hard to beat - their noses are very sensitive to the ability to pick up the scent released by the chemical vapors found in the bombs they have been trained to. Detect But what if there was a technology that could do the same, running 24/7 for a fraction of the cost? Koniku, a Silicon Valley startup founded by Oshiorenoya Agabi, is trying to develop a high-tech sensor made of genetically modified organism cells that can detect odors in the air.


We use biological cells so organisms, and we modify them to give them the ability to detect odors - the same way biological organisms do in your own nose," Agabi told CNN.The cells are fused with silicon chips which process the odor signals and transmit them through a machine learning system for classification, performance improvement and error correction. If the smell is identified as a security threat, a purple jelly-like device called konigor will light up.After conducting preliminary testing, Koniku, together with aerospace company Airbus, will begin testing field equipment in December at Singapore's Changi Airport and San Francisco International Airport.


First line of defense


Our objective is to provide airports and airlines with 100% situational awareness of chemical, explosion and bacterial threats," said Julien Touzeau, Airbus America's head of product safety.The devices will serve as a first line of defense against screening people as they enter airports - complementing existing methods of detecting bomb threats such as security scanners and dogs.Airbus works throughout the industry to provide safety services. The main request received from airport partners is to find technology that can "Detect any potential threats as quickly as possible," Touzeau said.


Weighing less than 350 joker grams and about half the size of a smartphone, it can be installed in multiple locations: on the turnstile, at the terminal entrance, at the check-in desk, or at the aircraft entrance.Not only this But it makes it easier to install than just a companion dog. But also more cost-effective Dogs work for up to 20 minutes, they can be easily disturbed and they are very expensive to train - an average cost of $ 200,000 per dog," Touzeau said.The current Koniku prototype is estimated to be worth around $ 3,000.Touzeau expects this to drop in the three-figure phase when it comes to mass production.


Virus detection


The potential uses for the device don't just stop at security, Agabi said.Koniku was recently investigating whether the same technology could be used to detect viruses like Covid-19, according to reports that dogs may have been exposed. Smell training Although it cannot detect the real virus But respiratory disease changes the patient's body odor, which dogs or equipment "Electronic noses" that can detect odors.Biotechnology consulting firm Treximo is working with Koniku to test whether the device can be used to detect Covid-19, the company said, if the trial is successful it will apply for emergency use authorization with the Food Commission.

And the United States drug early next year This will change potential applications and needs, said Agabi, who sees the technology being used in a wide variety of public spaces, from restaurants to football fields.In a post-coronavirus world, it's more of a problem than explosives," he said. "We can allow millions of people to be screened simultaneously in public areas where economic activity takes place.


Scientific credibility


However, some scientists specializing in electronic noses are skeptical of the technology.Timothy Swager, professor of chemistry at The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says it will pull what Koniku claims it needs. "Some technical miracle"He said the integration of natural proteins into the silicon cycle was extremely difficult, and the cellular fragility and complexity of their interactions with chemicals made it difficult to function.The e-nose concept has been a problem for a long time and there is a corporate cemetery in this general area," Swager told CNN.


Kenneth Suslick, a University of Illinois professor who specializes in electronic noses, added that the lack of publications detailing the technology from Airbus, Koniku or third parties.Alarm bell sound"When you have tech startups like this, the first thing you have to do is patent," he said. "After you submit a patent, you want to publish it because they give you credibility and they let you go.Others evaluate the technology Koniku filed a patent for the technology in 2016, but the results are still pending, Agabi said, as Koniku is not a company in the academic research group. "It is sufficient to share all information with customers under a non-disclosure agreement.

Agabi is confident that Koniku will prove the critics wrong. He said a recent experiment conducted by Airbus, in collaboration with Alabama law enforcement officials and an FBI bomb technician, found the device was able to detect explosives better than the dogs it did. Get trained Airport trials are the next big step. "This is the first in situ application of the new technology and we will try to understand how humans interact with it," Agabi said.