NASA's eNose Sniffs Out Brain Cancer

ScienceDaily is reporting that an electronic nose developed by NASA for monitoring potential leaks on the ISS may be able to sniff out brain cancer. "The electronic nose, which is to be installed on the International Space Station in order to automatically monitor the station's air, can detect contaminants within a range of one to approximately 10,000 parts per million. In a series of experiments, the Brain Mapping Foundation used NASA's electronic nose to sniff brain cancer cells and cells in other organs. Their data demonstrates that the electronic nose can sense differences in odor from normal versus cancerous cells. These experiments will help pave the way for more sophisticated biochemical analysis and experimentation."

Comments

NASA's eNose can sniff everything

[impaledsunset]

I heard that NASA's eNose is so sensitive it could tell a homeopathic preparation from pure water.

Can it sniff out explosives?

[Tibor the Hun]

Could it sniff out explosives, so we could detect roadside bombs, and not have to squirt toothpaste into baggies at airports?

Dogs already doing that years ago

[zooblethorpe]

Sure, it's great they've figured out how to do this artificially, but we've known for *years* that cancer smells differently, and we've even had dogs trained to do it:

http://www.google.com/search?q=dogs+sniff+cancer

Cheers,

I'm going for the borscht!

[rts008]

Now we can finally put an end to all of the squabbling going on in the ISS.

With the NASA Nose, we will finally be able to prove once and for all whose farts smell the worse, and by how much!