"An Ant’s Sense Of Smell Is So Strong, It Can Sniff Out Cancer"

"A study published this week points to the potential of someday using sharp-nosed animals to detect tumors quickly and cheaply".

"The ant oncologist will see you now.

Ants live in a world of odor. Some species are completely blind. Others rely so heavily on scent that ones that lose track of a pheromone trail march in a circle, until dying of exhaustion.

Ants have such a refined sense of smell, in fact, that researchers are now training them to detect the scent of human cancer cells.

A study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences highlights a keen ant sense and underscores how someday we may use sharp-nosed animals — or, in the case of ants, sharp-antennaed — to detect tumors quickly and cheaply. That’s important because the sooner that cancer is found, the better the chances of recovery."

Dino Grandoni reports for the Washington Post January 24, 2023.

Source: Washington Post, 01/25/2023