Could a bomb-sniffing device transform airport security?

When it comes to finding explosives, sniffer dogs are hard to beat -- their noses are so sensitive they can pick up odors emitted from the chemical vapors found in bombs they are trained to detect. But what if there was a technology that could do just the same, work 24 hours a day and at a fraction of the price? Koniku, a Silicon Valley-based startup founded by Oshiorenoya Agabi, is trying to develop just that -- high-tech sensors made from genetically modified living cells that can detect odors in the air. "We take biological cells, so living matter, and we modify them to give them capabilities to detect a smell -- in the same way that living biological matter in your own nose functions," Agabi said. The cells are fused with a silicon chip that processes odor signals and passes them through a machine learning system for classification, performance improvement and error correction. If a smell is identified as a security threat, the purple, jelly-like device -- called a Konikore -- lights up. Having performed well in preliminary tests, Koniku -- in partnership with aerospace company Airbus -- will start field trials of the devices in December, at Changi Airport in Singapore and San Francisco International Airport. "Our objective is to provide airports and airlines with 100% situational awareness on the chemical, explosive, bacteriological threat," said Julien Touzeau, head of product security for Airbus America. The devices would act as a first line of defense, screening people as they enter the airport -- complementing existing methods for detecting bomb threats, such as security scanners and dogs. Weighing less than 350 grams and about half the size of a smartphone, the devices could be installed in multiple locations: on the revolving doors at the entrance to a terminal, at check-in desks, or at the entrance to an aircraft.<br/>